United They Stand
by SpawnX66
Summary: The world is finally able to take a breather after all the world's supers have been taken care of. But will a deal between an interplanetary warlord and a certain god of mischief disrupt that peace? The answer is yes. AU, multi-crossover, and a continuation of my other fic, Thordis.
1. Prologue: The Push

This is a story where S.H.I.E.L.D. has monitored a number of different supers over the years, not just Iron Man, Hulk, etc. The first few chapters of the story, which are set before the Avengers movie, will introduce some of the characters I have integrated into the plot. They will include characters from many other franchises. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimed: I do not own any of the characters depicted in this story. They all belong to their respective ownerships.

**United They Stand**

**Chapter 1 – The Push**

A quinjet was racing through the night sky, completely undetected by the people below. Agents Jasper Sitwell and Maureen Tremel were seated in the back, waiting to arrive at their destination. Agent Sitwell remained stoic and unnerved, while Tremel, who was new, seemed nervous.

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Tremel asked for the umpteenth time. With a sigh, Sitwell went over the basics again.

"We've been keeping track of the girl since the stone incident twelve years ago. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get closer to her recently due that mother of hers."

"So then why are we investigating now?" Tremel asked.

"Two hours ago, a fire started at the local high school and caused an explosion that engulfed several blocks and killed over eighty people. Then fires started spreading through the surrounding neighborhoods, and local fire departments have been unsuccessful due to the fire extinguishers being ruptured."

"And we believe that the girl is the reason?"

"Exactly."

Tremel's nervousness rose at that, and she sat quietly, listening to the hum of the quinjet's engines. After a few moments of silence, the quinjet started to descend, and soon moved past the cloud bank.

"Sir, we've arrived at our destination." The pilot said. Agent Sitwell came up to the passenger's seat, and his eyes widened at the sight before him. An audible gasp emanated from behind him, and he turned to see an awestruck Agent Tremel. Their destination, Chamberlain, Maine, was bathed in flames. Half the town was on fire, and the areas that weren't burning were slowly being overtaken by the growing inferno. Occasional explosions shook the communities, and a few people could be seen frantically searching for shelter.

"Jesus… a _kid _did this?" the pilot said in disbelief. The two agents didn't seem to here im, as tey were too distracted by the carnage.

"How are we supposed to find her in this mess?" Tremel finally asked.

"Agent Coulson placed a monitoring device on her some months ago. Luckily it's still working." Sitwell took out a small homing device, which immediately zoomed in on their target.

"There. She's moved east outside of town. Must be trying to make some sort of getaway. We can recover her and then return to base."

"But what if she resists?" Tremel asked.

"She won't have a choice." Sitwell responded.

Sue Snell looked at the body lying in front of the Cavalier roadhouse, which was burning just as the rest of the town was. There was also a car crashed into the side, and Sue briefly contemplated seeing if she should check to see if anyone was inside. But the voice invading her thoughts drew her to the motionless figure sprawled out in the parking lot. Once she got close enough, she recognized the form.

Carrie White, a girl of fifteen years, was wearing a pink party dress that was drenched in blood. Her usually blonde hair was darkened by the foul liquid, and what appeared to be a kitchen knife was imbedded in her shoulder. The girl looked dead, but Sue could tell she was alive from the voices in her head. These voices had been trailing her since the school had been destroyed, and informed Sue of what had transpired in the past few hours. Everyone was dead. Tina, Sarah, Bertha, Howard…. Tommy. Sue cringed at that.

She knelt down next to Carrie's body, and just as her hand made contact with her shoulder, Carrie's eyes snapped open, revealing blue, bloodshot eyes. Normally, Sue would have jumped, but some unseen force had frozen er in place.

_Who's there? _It was that voice. Carrie's voice. Sue responded in the only way she could.

_Me. Sue Snell. Carrie, what happened? Is Tommy…_

_You… you tricked me! You all tricked me! It was all just a trick! Just a dirty trick! _There was anger in tat statement. Anger and despair.

_Carrie please, I didn't know… _Sue tried to explain, but Carrie's thoughts overpowered her own, and Sue started seeing visions. Images of a scared little girl, curled up in the sowers as other girls pelted her wit tampons, towels, and sanitary pads. She saw Carrie's mother beating her back into a closet, locking it and ignoring the poor girl's cries. More images followed, each detailing a horrible event in Carrie's life.

_Look at my life. It's all been a trick. One big dirty trick. _Carrie was shaking ere ad back and forth.

_Carrie, look into my thoughts._ Sue suddenly ordered. It suddenly felt as though something was moving around in her head, poking and prodding at her memories. As Sue felt her mind being explored. Carrie saw images of Sue and Tommy, talking about the latter taking Carrie to the prom. No matter how hard Carrie looked, she couldn't find any trace of the prank. Sue was innocent. But Carrie continued to investigate, finding feelings of pity, disgust, and sorrow. All aimed towards her.

Carrie pulled herself from Sue's memories abruptly, and starred at Sue for a few moments.

_Why couldn't you have just left me alone? _Carrie's voice spoke.

_Carrie, I…_

_Momma would be alive. Oh, god. I killed momma! _Carrie's thoughts were becoming more and more hysterical. Sue started to get scared.

_Carrie, please, let me go. _Sue begged.

_Momma, I want my momma. Oh, god it hurts, momma!_ Carrie started thrashing around, and Sue started to panic. With all er strength, Sue pulled herself from the restraints and started to run, eager to get away from this bloody… thing in front of her. But se could still hear tat voice.

_Momma? Momma? Momma? Momma? _The words kept repeating, getting louder and louder each time. Sue kept running, leaping over fences, logs, and pushing past several branches, not looking back. Eventually, she was far from the roadhouse, and collapsed in a field. She gripped ere ad as the voice continued to speak. Sue thought se was going to lose it, until…

_Momma, I'm sorry. Where… _Then it stopped, and a vision of a small flame entered Sue's head, before fading from existence. Sue froze. Did she just feel Carrie die? Sue lay in the field for what seemed like forever, when a new sound caught her attention. Turning to look upward, Sue was shocked to see some kind of plane flying overhead, opposite of the direction of the roadhouse. Suddenly, a thougt entered Sue's mind, and se instinctivally ran back towards the Cavalier.

_Please no. Oh please! _Sue said frantically to herself as she neared the burning building once again. When she arrived, she fell to her knees as she saw exactly what she had hoped she wouldn't.

Carrie was gone.

**Thanks for reading. I know it may not seem that great. But I do hope you enjoyed it. Btw, Carrie White belongs to Stephen King. Review pleaz.**


	2. Prologue: A Friend

**United They Stand**

**Chapter 2 – A Friend**

At the northeast coast of Greenland, a large excavation crew was at work. A high-powered drill bore into the ice, moving downwards until a _clank _was heard. The drill stopped, and the shovel-like arm of an excavator started scooping out large piles of snow in that area. A few minutes later, an object was unearthed. It appeared to be a jet, or rather what was left of it, and was outdated by today's standards. It showed signs of battle, such as gunfire.

A figure stepped forward and knelt down in front of the dug hole. It was a man, and he was covered in a parka and a protective mask to shield him from the cold. With an outstretched hand, he reached into the exposed cockpit, and inspected the pilot. Another man approached from behind, holding a glowing nightstick.

"Is it him?" The man, Agent Phil Coulson, asked.

The man inspecting the jet stood up, and slowly removed the mask. With is one good eye, Director Nick Fury turned his attention toward Coulson.

"No… But we're getting closer."

The two turned toward the nearby S.H.I.E.L.D. base camp, deciding to call it a day for now. After finally getting out of the blizzard, Fury and Coulson removed their parkas and quickly adjusted to the change in temperatures.

"I'm just saying we need to move now." Coulson said.

"What I need is for you to be a little less overexcited." Fury remarked.

"I'm not overexcited, I'm at the appropriate level of excitement. But a glacial shift in the coming months is an absolute certainty, which means that at any moment…"

Fury chose at that moment to cut Coulson off. "Relax, Coulson. We'll find your favorite action figure."

Before Coulson could say anything else, another agent walked up. The man was sort, and had a curled mustache. He looked nervous, and spoke up.

"Director Fury, there was a call from the World Security Council."

Fury groaned in exasperation. Great. That's just what he needed right now. "Schedule a return call for tomorrow night."

"Er… they've actually already scheduled the call. It's, eh… gonna take place in twelve hours… and they'll be calling you at HQ in New York."

"That won't work." Fury snapped. "We're looking at another two to four weeks for this expedition."

The agent rubbed his neck. "I know, sir. But… the council gave an executive order to shut down, pack up camp, and head home. They said they'd explain everything to you on the call."

Coulson's face fell at that, and Fury had a look of pure frustration on his face. Without a word, he stalked off. Entering his quarters, Fury sat down at his desk, grumbling in exasperation.

"Fools. Damn bureaucratic fools." Fury cursed.

"I couldn't agree more."

Fury's head shot up, and he looked to the source of the unfamiliar voice. Standing in the sadows was a woman, appeared to be middle aged. She had curly blonde hair, black lips, and black eyes, and she was wearing some sort of purple leotard with a spider insignia on the front. An eerily floating black cape hung behind her, and she wore boots that matched the color of her leotard. Her skin was so pale that she was almost ghostly.

"Good to finally meet you, Director Fury. Claire Voyant. I'm a friend."

"You sure about that?" Fury said fiercely, slowly reaching for his gun.

"Don't bother. I won't be long. I just wanted to discuss a few things with you. Such as your work with the Tesseract."

Fury's eye widened in surprise. "How do you…"

"How do I know S.H.I.E.L.D. has hidden facility in the Mojave Desert, where you have the world's greatest technological minds trying to decipher the potential of perhaps one of the most powerful energy sources in the world? How you've continued to coddle Tony Stark despite your priorities of acquiring his weapons technologies? How you've been monitoring Bruce Banner since the two of you met in Willowdale? How you have Carrie White strapped to a table while your men try to discover the source of her unusual talents? Or how about the Avengers Initiative"

Fury was left speechless, for the first time he was unable to make any kind of response. The Avengers Initiative was a top secret response program. Only a few people knew about it.

"I see everything, Director Fury, and I'm here to tell you that I support your actions." Claire said honestly. Fury's eyebrow rose at that. When we didn't say anything, Claire continued.

"The World Security Council is blind. They think they can control everything no problem, but they can't. They fail to see what is really transpiring around them, unlike you. Something is bound to happen inevitably, and your work is the only way to prevent any sort of catastrophe. Now my client is not one to uphold peace, but even he thinks that the world should settle down for a bit. Catch it's breath."

"Who is tis client of yours?" Fury asked.

Claire smirked. "He doesn't have many fans, and it's best we don't dwell into that particular subject. The point is, no matter what the council says, you need to continue your work. You especially need to continue your search for Rogers. I have a feeling you may discover something… more in your search."

"More?" Fury said, confused.

"You'll see, Mr. Director. Keep what I've said in mind. You'll be seeing more of me in the future." With a wink, Claire Voyant sunk into the darkness, and her shadow seemed to move on its own and out of sight. Fury was left standing dumbly, unsure if what had just happened were real or not. As if on cue, the door opened, and Coulson stepped in. He had a strange expression on his face.

"Sir, we uncovered something at the dig sight."

"What was it?" Fury asked.

"We're not sure…"

**Well there you go. For those of you who don't know who Claire Voyant is, she was the first costumed, superpowered female comic book character, and even though she was called the Black Widow in the comics, she is just going to be called Claire Voyant in this story so not to get confused with Natasha Romanoff. Review pleaz.**


	3. Prologue: Out of Time

**Chapter 3 – Out of Time**

Director Fury stared blankly at the object before him. It shared similarities to a coffin, although it was cylinder shaped. On end side of it, there were blue, luminescent lights in the shape of two circles, and there were fin-like flaps jutting from the sides. The rest was black in color, and some ice was still being thawed from the surface. Aside from that, it appeared to be completely intact. Fury turned to Coulson, who looked as dumbstruck as he did.

"What is this, Coulson?"

Coulson took a deep breath. "We don't know for sure, boss. We inspected it twice, and we believe it's some kind of containment unit. Like a pod. However, the metal it's made of doesn't correspond with any known element on the periodic table. My guess is that this thing is of extraterrestrial design."

Fury's took a step back. _I have a feeling you may discover something… more in your search._

Fury's face remained stoic for a few moments. Coulson turned to him, waiting for some kind of response.

"This is big, Coulson. I mean really big." Fury walked up to the pod, his hands folded behind his back. "Are you dead serious on in this?"

"Sir, I am aware of how unrealistic it sounds, but I am confident in my conclusion. This thing is not of this world."

"How long was it buried?" Fury inquired.

"We're not sure. The object was in a perfect form of suspended animation, making the exact age impossible to determine. But given our data concerning the recent glacial formations, it could be thousands of years old." Coulson said.

Fury rested a hand on the pod. The metal was icy cold, no doubt from the amount of time it spent buried in the ice. Next to the Tesseract, this was probably the biggest discovery S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever made. Whatever this pod contained could be quite valuable to humanity. If the Council got word of this…

"Open it." Fury commanded.

Coulson blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. I want this thing opened up as soon as possible."

"Sir, is that wise? We don't know what's inside, or if it's dangerous or not. For we know it could…"

"I am aware of the risks, Agent Coulson," Fury said, his tone dangerous. "and I'm willing to take them. Get that thing opened."

ooooo

The next few hours were agonizing at best. Fury remained in his quarters, seated at his desk, chin resting on his folded hands, a look of contemplation on his face. The world was changing fast. Too fast for him to handle. Stark, Banner, White… Voyant. Now this. It was all happening so fast. He was supposed to have left an hour ago for New York to await the Council's call. But Fury never was one to follow orders. Especially from his "superiors." This was just too big for him to miss. He just hoped whatever was in tat pod was worth all the trouble.

A few moments later, Fury heard te door open. He didn't even have to turn to know that it was Coulson. "Well?"

"I think we've got it, sir."

ooooo

Fury and Coulson were marching towards the lab where the pod was held. Fury kept asking Coulson questions on the object's status, and Coulson was answering as best as he could.

"We had some difficulty getting it open at first. We feared that just breaking it open would damage whatever is inside." Coulson rubbed some sweat from his brow. "Fortunately, we were able to carefully pry open the hatch."

"And? What did you find?" The pair walked into the lab.

"I don't know. I left right before they…" They stopped, and stared at the now open pod. The scientists that opened it were equally as shocked.

"My God…" Fury murmured.

Laying inside the pod was a creature. It was unconscious, and was almost humanoid in appearance, but its primary features were far from human. It appeared anthropoidal, with two pairs of eyes, all closed. Its head was covered in a thick, layered carapace that gave it a distinctive shape. The creature's hands both had three fingers, and its feet both had two widely-spaced toes. It was wearing an armor that was a bright ruby-red, and was almost shell-like in appearance. All in all, it was the most bizarre thing Fury had ever laid his eyes on.

"What in God's name is that?" Fury asked, bewildered beyond all comprehension.

One of the scientists stepped forward. "Some kind of humanoid, sir. The life signs are green. It's alive, but it may take some time to regain consciousness."

Fury looked at the two guards positioned at the door. "Put it under quarantine. I don't want anyone getting hurt if it…"

"Boss." Fury turned to Coulson, who was looking at the pod with a pale expression. Fury looked at the pod, and saw that the creature was stirring.

"Damn…"

The creature flexed its fingers, and its eyes opened, a bright light blinding its vision. Blinking a few times, the creature stared at the ceiling for a few moments, and slowly started to sit up. The scientists backed away, and Fury and Coulson drew their guns just in case. The creature turned its head toward them, and its eyes widened alarmingly.

To the surprise of the humans, a green aura surrounded the creature, and with a grunt, it stretched its hand out toward them. A blazing wave of green energy pushed them all back, sending them hurtling into the wall. Once they were all scattered across the floor, te creature leapt out of the pod, and made a run for the door. The two guards aimed their guns at the alien, but another wave of energy, stronger than the last, blasted them right through the wall and into the hallway. The alien continued to run, stumbling somewhat on te way out.

Fury slowly stood up, sore from the attack. Coulson and one scientist who didn't get knocked out by the attack stood up as well.

"You okay?" Fury asked

"I'm alive, if that's what you mean." Coulson remarked

"I need you to put this place on red alert. I want the specimen detained right now." Fury commanded, rubbing a bruise that was forming on his head.

ooooo

The alien continued to run, still struggling to keep his footing after being in stasis for so long. He didn't even bother to observe his surroundings. All he could think about was getting away from those bipedal beings. Suddenly, an alarm sounded, and the alien stopped. He looked around wildly, and the next thing he knew, more of those beings were surrounding him, each of them armed.

A look of concentration appeared on the alien's face, and the same green aura enveloped its body. Then, he ran forward with amazing speed, plowing through all of te agents. Some who managed to move out of the way fire at him, but the bullets seemed to vaporize into thin air the moment they made contact with the energy field.

With amazing strength, the alien broke through several walls, knocking away some unfortunate humans along the way. In a few moments, he was outside.

The creature stopped dead in his tracks, the aura disappearing. He looked at his surroundings. Everything around him was a frozen wasteland, nothing like he had expected. There were supposed to be great cities, advanced civilizations. This wasn't right. How long ad he really been asleep?

"Excuse me?" A voice called out.

The alien turned to see a small group of humans. All were armed, except for the one who spoke. A human male, dark skin, and a black patch covering his left eye.

"My name is Director Nick Fury. Can you understand what I am saying?" Fury inquired. The alien said nothing. He just stared back at the human. Eventually, the creature walked towards him slowly, and the other humans pointed their guns. The alien reached out towards Fury, who backed away slightly.

"What…" The creature's hand touched Fury's forehead and Fury froze as several visions were driven into his mind. It didn't take long for him to realize he was seeing the creature's memories.

_The alien was standing in some kind of ship, surrounded by two more of his kind. They were all starring out of the viewport, and could see Earth in the distance. One of the other creatures, who was wearing yellow armor, spoke._

"_The Reapers have pushed us back, Xegh Hikesh. Our empire has fallen, and we must await the emergence of the next cycle."_

_The other one, clad in blue armor, spoke. "Several of our brothers have been transported to other planets across the galaxy. They will awaken once the primitives of those worlds have reached the peak of their evolution. Then we can prepare for the Reapers again. You will be sent to this world. It is a small, hospitable planet with simple natives. In their presence, you will be the voice of our people." _

"_Once they have listened, seek out the others. Bring the Porthean Empire back to full glory." The yellow alien said._

_The red Prothean, Xegh Hikesh, nodded to his brothers. "I will. I promise you."_

_Without a word, Xegh Hikesh stepped into the open life pod, and laid inside as the hatc closed. An electronic voice filled his senses. "Stasis active." A hissing sound was heard, and soon the entire pod was filled with some type of gas. Xegh could feel his consciousness fading, and soon, sleep overtook him. A long, long sleep…_

Xegh moved his and from Fury's face, and Fury was in shock over the experience. He stumbled slightly, falling to his knees. The Prothean stood above him, his four eyes blinking.

"You woke me up to early, human." The oter humans present were shocked to hear perfectly spoken English from an alien life form. Breathing eavily, Fury regained his composure and looked up at Xeph.

"You can understand me?"

"I've read enough of your physiology to understand you dialect, human."

"So you were scanning my mind while I…"

"Saw what my people were reduced to in their final moments. Castaways. I was supposed to await the day your cycle reached its limit. The day the Reapers returned." Xeph's tone grew spiteful at the word Reapers.

"Reapers?" Fury asked, visibly confused.

"They are a race of synthetic abominations that reside in the space between stars. I do not know where they come from originally. Just that they are as old as the galaxy itself. They emerge from the dark domain to eradicate all advanced life in the galaxy. Our empire was destroyed, and the Reapers left."

Fury was shocked at this news. "So you were sent here so you could prepare us for them. To stop them once and for all."

Xeph nodded, but he appeared angry. "You have jeopardized by mission, human. You disrupted by stasis. Your people are still far from the peak of your cycle. The rest of my people still have at least a millennium left until the Reapers should reemerge, and I doubt you possess the necessary resources needed to power my life pod again."

"I'm sorry. I can't say that we would." Fury said, clearly uneasy at having pissed off an alien being.

The Prothean scoffed. "Typical. Then I am stranded here."

"It appears so." Fury said. For a while, everyone just stood in the freezing could, unsure of what to do next.

"Very well then. I am called Xeph Hikesh, human."

Fury stepped forward, hand outstretched. "Director Nick Fury. I represent the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. But we prefer to go by S.H.I.E.L.D."

Xeph just stared at Fury's hand with a blank expression. Fury looked at the Protean awkwardly. He suddenly realized that Xeph was likely clueless on human customs.

"Er… it's called a handshake. You're supposed to shake it."

"Why?" Xeph asked.

"You're asking the wrong human, sir. It's just what we do when people meet." Fury confessed.

"I see." Xeph grabbed Fury's hand, and Fury winced at the Prothean's strength, and shook.

"Welcome to Earth."

**And that is chapter 3. FWI, the protheans are an alien race from the Mass Effect games, which belongs to BioWare. Xeph Hikesh is an OC, and belongs to me (sort of). And to answer one Outlawson 413, I plan on only adding four new characters to the story at this moment. I haven't yet decided on who the fourth will be, but I do plan on adding more much later in the story. I will update whenever I can. See ya.**


	4. Prologue: A Serious Business Meeting

**Chapter 4 – A Serious Business Meeting**

"Your late, Director Fury. This call has been on hold for the past two hours."

In S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in New York, Director Fury was seated in a dark room, surrounded by large monitors. Haling the monitors were Fury's least favorite people. The World Security Council. The council was an international organization, and have always been positioned above S.H.I.E.L.D., much to Fury's chagrin. For years, the council has been based around ideals of maintaining global security and fostering world peace, but their methods of achieving world peace have been questionable to say the least. Fury and the council had shared different ideals since the beginning, and it was always a wonder how Fury was given the position of director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fury didn't even seem to care about the councilman's frustration. He just gave an indifferent expression.

"My apologies, councilman. I was met with an unexpected delay after you pulled the plug on my frostbite mission."

"Is that so? Did you actually end up locating the super-solider?"

"No. We did locate an important clue that could have pointed us in the right direction, but with the ever-shifting topography of the Greenland Ice Sheet, I imagine we'll be starting from scratch again." Then, Fury smirked. "But right now, Rogers is the least of my concerns. We located something even bigger?"

"I beg your pardon?" Fury couldn't see the councilman's face clearly, but he could sense the bemusement in his voice.

"Moments after you called off the operation, the teams that hadn't immediately gotten the message dug up some kind of containment unit. The metal on the device wasn't like anything on the planet. When we got it opened, we found a live alien organism."

Another council member, a woman, spoke up with an English accent. "That seems very chimeric, Director. I'd advise you not to make up tall tales to get out of trouble."

"Ma'am, do I seem like the kind of person who'd make shit up?" Fury asked. The councilmembers just stared at him, not saying a word.

Sighing, Fury went on. "Anyway, it's no lie. We found a living, breathing extraterrestrial. Prothean, to be exact. He claims to be at almost fifty-thousand years old."

"_He _claims?" A councilman asked.

"Yup. The thing was able to learn English in seconds. He was a little pissed for being woken up, but he cooperated. He's being transferred to the Mojave facility at this moment." Fury finished, and almost smiled at their shocked responses.

"This is quite… commendable, Director Fury. But it also raises many concerns. Should we be worried about any hostilities from this… thing?"

"The Prothean seems to understand that hostility won't get anywhere. If anything, he's confined himself here by choice. Plus he seems to be the only surviving member of his kind. Not like he can call for help or anything."

"I see."

One councilman, whose screen was located on the far right of the room, spoke. "Still, this is just living proof that Phase 2 is necessary. Even if it's one harmless alien, this means there could indeed be others out there. Not all of them friendlies. We need a deterrence."

Fury frowned. "You're talking about the Tesseract."

"Reigniting the Tesseract. That is correct."

Fury slouched in his seat, and rested his feet up on the desk. "Hey, no argument here. I love that objective. It's definitely one of my top three or four favorite objectives in the whole damn handbook!" Fury unslouched, and stared intently at the screens. "But after trying nuclear, geothermal, electric, magnetic, electromagnetic, static, kinetic, solar, and about forty-seven other mixed variant energy sources without any results… we're a little short on ideas."

"There is a way, Director Fury," The councilwoman spoke. "both history and legend can attest to it. Inspiration will strike."

"And we hope to expedite this process moving forward now that the lion's share of S.H.I.E.L.D. Resources will be dedicated to the Tesseract."

Fury's infamous scowl crossed his face. "Say that again?"

"A prospectus outlining new budgetary allocations will arrive shortly. In keeping with the agency's mandate, the majority of funding, equipment, and manpower will be dedicated to analysis of the Tesseract, coded as Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S." The councilwoman stated. "The purpose of this redistribution is to take focus away from current wasteful programs and redirect it to P.E.G.A.S.U.S."

"We advise you to leave the Carrie White investigation and the… alien… in the hands of our top scientists. You need not concern yourself with them any longer."

"As despicable as he may be at times, you will let General Ross continue to deal with Banner. Any manor of civilian casualties will be in his hands, and they will be dealt with once the Banner catastrophe has passed. Besides, there is no real purpose in dealing with a man that has left you perplexed and undecided as to any course of action regarding his existence."

"As for Stark, if he thinks he can solve world peace on his own, we won't stop him. You, on the other hand, should focus more on the importance of his company's weaponry."

The councilman seated in the middle screen spoke in, and he sounded more sympathetic towards Fury than the others. "We embrace your enthusiasm, but your approach is misguided. Our decision is that the Tesseract is of greater significance at this point in time."

"And if I choose not to follow these new guidelines set forth in your 'prospectus'?" Fury asked.

One councilman, a man of Indian descent who hadn't said anything the entire meeting, interjected. "Then you'll be replaced with someone who will. If it helps to put this in perspective, then consider yourself on notice, Director Fury."

The screens went black. It was over. Fury did not look pleased. As if he ever did. Outside, Coulson was waiting patiently. As he was straightening his tie, the doors finally opened.

"That took a while."

They had a lot to say." Fury replied.

"Anything worth repeating?"

"Not in polite company." The two men walked down the hall, passing by a few other agents, all of which were too caught up in their own duties to notice them.

"So… what do we do?" Coulson inquired.

"We keep doing what we're doing and tell them them that we're doing what they want us to be doing."

"How?"

"Hell, I dunno. Get creative, cook the books. Whatever it takes to let us do this job right."

"Is that the best plan of action moving forward?"

"If it's not… I'm gonna kill Voyant."

Coulson scratched his head. "Yeah… boss, this Voyant woman. If she is real, have you considered the possibility of her being a spy? She could be working for A.I.M."

"I doubt that. A.I.M. has been in the rocks ever since George Tarleton disappeared. They're no real threat. Voyant's working for someone else. Someone way beyond our jurisdiction."

The two entered another room, the walls covered with monitors. They were all broadcasting news stories. Big stories. Some about Chamberlain, Stark's activities in Gulmira, and something about strange weather patterns in New Mexico.

Fury sighed. "What a mess."

**Yep. There's chapter four. It's not really meant to be anything big. More like extra filler content. The next chapter may or may not introduce the fourth member.**

**Lastly, one of my reviewers asked if I was open to suggestions on a fourth member. Honestly, yes I am. If any of you do have any suggestions, by all means. Now, I'll remind you that I'm only accepting one at the moment, cuz I don't wanna add to many avengers this early in the story. I'll update whenever I can. See ya.**


	5. Prologue: New Boundaries

**Chapter 5 – New Boundaries**

Somewhere deep in the Mojave Desert, one of the biggest secret operations was taking place. Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., as the World Security Council had dubbed it, was a joint venture between S.H.I.E.L.D. and N.A.S.A., formed to investigate phenomena beyond the range of conventional scientific understanding. Both major contributors have provided scientific expertise to the project, and due to the highly sensitive nature of the research conducted there, S.H.I.E.L.D. also provided its security forces.

For many years, Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. has played host to the Tesseract, an object of incredible energy that's origin has yet to be discovered. Scientists were completely baffled by it, and have never been able to find any way to ignite its immense power. Some hope came in the form of Xegh Hikesh, the 'Prothean.' The scientists had hoped the alien had some knowledge of the Tesseract, but Hikesh was not familiar with it. He was just as baffled as they were. Thankfully, some of the alien technologies recovered from Xegh's life pod allowed easier study of the Tesseract. Progress was going along a lot smoother now.

Now, on the subject of Xegh, he didn't seem to care about the scientists studying him or his technology. In fact, he welcomed it, believing that his place among them would in time uplift their cycle. That way, when the Reapers finally emerge many centuries from now, the humans may have a better chance at survival. Xegh's story of these Reapers was very unsettling. Fury didn't tell the World Security Council of them, for he knew they would not believe him.

Another noteworthy operation that was taking place in the subterranean facility included the White Investigation, as it had been dubbed by S.H.I.E.L.D. The operation dealt with the mysterious case of one Carrietta 'Carrie' White, the teenage girl who single-handedly caused one of the most catastrophic disasters in American history. Carrie White's frightening telekinetic powers leveled an entire suburbial town in Maine, all because of a heartless prank issued upon her by a group of cruel bullies. S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to covertly recover her and save her from a lethal stab wound, but she remained in a coma for several months until awakening in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. The agency then made up a number of stories to cover up the destruction of Chamberlain, and to the whole world, Carrie was just another missing person.

Carrie was scared by the unfamiliar surroundings, and had reacted violently, forcing the agents to sedate her and keep her under quarantine. The girl was eventually deemed mentally unstable due to constant abuse and torment throughout her life, and it took a great deal of time for S.H.I.E.L.D. to get through to her and calm her down.

Now, Ms. White was nothing more than a nervous, quiet young girl, haunted by the ghosts of the past. She rarely ever used her powers unless directed to by S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of their 'sessions' with her. Many agents were weary of Carrie, but Agent Tremel was the first to show her any form of kindness, and was the first to get her to open up. Agent Tremel saw what Carrie had been reduced to when she and Agent Sitwell found her outside the Cavalier roadhouse, and instantly felt sympathy for the girl.

Currently, Carrie was sitting in her quarters, wearing a hospital gown and seated in a single chair. That, along with the bed positioned in the corner of the room, was really all she needed at the moment. She was just sitting there, her long, dirty-blonde hair draped over her eyes. She seemed to be thinking about something. Of what, nobody could really tell. Agent Coulson observed the girl through a one-way glass window, a sympathetic look on his face. He noticed Agent Tremel walk up, holding a stack of cards. The two smiled at each other, then directed their attention to the window.

"Any progress?" Coulson asked. Tremel shrugged.

"She's become a lot more stable. The violent outbursts and mood swings have stopped. She barely talks to anyone." Tremel said sadly.

"She'll talk to you." Coulson pointed out.

"Yeah, a few words." Tremel replied. "What she needs is someone she can really connect with."

The two looked at the girl through the glass. She looked so frail just staring off into nothingness, and it was easily the saddest sight Coulson ever had to behold. Tremel turned to him. "Is this right? Keeping her here against her will?"

Coulson sighed. "I don't like it either, Maureen. But the council has still deemed her a dangerous force that must be controlled. Plus, we'd need to go through all the trouble of creating a new civilian identity for her."

Tremel huffed. "Well, I better see her. She must be dying of boredom by now."

Coulson watched Tremel enter Carrie's cell. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he saw Tremel hold up the cards and say something to Carrie, who smiled and nodded. Smiling, Coulson walked away, and soon entered a large laboratory where several scientists were bustling around a machine that housed the most important scientific item in the entire facility: the Tesseract.

Looking around the room, Coulson's eyes fell upon a tall inhuman figure that was leaning over a table, studying some of the collected research. Walking over, Coulson greeted the figure.

"Hikesh."

The Prothean regarded the bald agent, nodding. "Agent Coulson."

"Have you made any new discoveries regarding the Tesseract?"

"Barely." Xegh shook his head. "The cube gives off energy readings similar to the mass effect fields that my people used during my last cycle. But other than that, this 'Tesseract' is… unreadable. Not even my own technologies can tap into its power."

"Well what about those senses of yours? Have you tried that?"

Xegh nodded. "I have. The energy it gave off was too intense. It actually forced me away."

"Well keep trying. The boss is hard pressed on getting this thing lit up." Coulson demanded, but Xegh blinked his four eyes, unsure.

"Agent Coulson," He began. "I have studied your peoples' history. I read about this World War and how the humans of that time couldn't decipher the Tesseract. If you cannot even decipher it today, then it may take decades for you to find a way."

Coulson turned serious. "We're willing to risk it. The benefits this could have on humanity are too grand to pass up. We need an unlimited power source."

"Yeah well, good luck with that." A new voice spoke up. Hikesh blinked, looking around for the source. But Coulson sighed, knowing very well who the voice belonged too.

"Agent Wrekk?" He asked aloud. There was a brief gust of wind, and suddenly, a young girl with large, metal wings landed nearby. She had curly brown hair and grayish blue eyes. Her skin was a light ivory color, and she had a sucker in her mouth. Most likely strawberry, Coulson guessed. She was wearing a white t-shirt and ripped jeans, and had a leather jacket thrown over her shoulder. Once she landed, her wings folded up behind her and she put on the jacket.

"Nice to see you, Phil." Soladat Wrekk said, and then she looked over at the Prothean, and winked. "You too, Hikesh."

The Prothean huffed, and turned away from the girl. He was still miffed at her from the first time they met. She was sorry, yes, but people tend to stay angry after someone else has tried to shoot you with a sniper rifle.

"So what brings you back here, Soladat?" Coulson asked. "I had thought you'd be in Instanbul."

"My mission was cut short." Soladat shrugged, and then smiled innocently. "Why? You not happy to see me?"

Coulson sighed. "It's not that I don't enjoy your company, Soladat. It's just the other agents tend to be a little… apprehensive when your around."

Soladat frowned. "So they're nervous when I'm around, but there okay with him walking around?" She was motioning towards Hikesh, who looked at her, frowning.

"No offense, buddy." Soladat assured. Xegh just shook his head and went back to his work. Coulson shook his head at her.

"Look, Soladat, the World Security Council already has problems with you. They've been making comments about your actions during some missions. Not all of them positive."

"Since when have you ever liked the Council?" Soladat asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't." Coulson confirmed. "But what they says goes, no matter how hard Fury tries to defy them. So, just try to be a little less extreme on your next assignment, alright?"

Soladat smiled. "I'll try to do my best Phil. But fortunately for you, Fury's given me some time off."

Coulson raised an eyebrow. "He gave _you_ vacation time?"

Soladat chucked. "Yup. Even specially trained assassins have to take a break."

"Where do you plan on going?" Coulson asked, a little worried. Soladat smirked.

"Someplace with little boundaries."

And with that, Soladat walked off, getting a few weary looks from some of the other agents. Coulson just shook his head, and turned back to look at Xegh, who was looking back at him.

"She behaves too erratically. She is going to get herself maimed one day." Xegh commented.

"Don't be so sure." Coulson said.

**Introducing Soladat Wrekk, an OC created by Ketsueki no Kuki. Don't like OCs, then don't read. So now there are four characters. Others may be introduced later. Also, those of you who've been reading my other story, Thordis, are probably aware that that fic will now be a tie-in with this one. My reasons is because I don't like Chris Hemsworth and the whole point of United They Stand was to create a new timeline with several noticeable changes. Since I like Darcy Lewis, she will be on the Avengers in this fic. Don't like, don't read. Later.**


	6. Prologue: Fury's Big Week

**Chapter 6 – Fury's Big Week**

The sound of a cellphone ringing woke Fury up from his sleep. Grumbling in irritation, Fury reached over to the nightstand and searched for the phone, eventually laying his hand on it and grasping it. Answering it, he brought it up to his face.

"Fury."

"Sir? In seventy-two hours, Tony Stark will be dead."

Fury's eyes widened and he immediately got out of bed, got dressed, and left.

ooooo

Fury stormed in through the entrance of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, and was immediately swarmed by agents, all bombarding him with questions.

"Director Fury, Senator Stern wants to schedule a sit-down with the Department of Defense to discuss acquiring the Iron Man technology."

"Find out when he's busy, and schedule it for then." Fury ordered, and the agent nodded before leaving. Standing up from her desk, one female agent held out a clipboard and paper.

"Sir, I need your signature for the budgetary redistribution."

Fury nodded and signed his name down on the flyer, and once he finished, the agent saluted to him then left. Behind him, another agent came up.

"Sir, Agent Sitwell just checked in…"

Fury glanced at the agent. "And?"

"He said that Banner cleared customs."

"Tell Sitwell to stay on him." Fury commanded. The agent gave a yes sir and left. A much older agent stalked up, looking more serious.

"Sir, General Ross is asking for…"

"Tell him no." Fury interrupted. He could care less about that self-absorbed jackass right now.

"Director Fury?"

Fury turned towards the familiar voice. "What is it, Coulson?"

Coulson cleared his throat. "There's something you need to see."

Fury's eye narrowed. "Then why aren't you showing it to me?"

Coulson lacked the old half-smile he usually carried. "It's not exactly something that can fit in my pocket, sir."

Fury sighed. "Spit it out. I got a busy day."

Nodding, Coulson explained. "My team has picked up an atmospheric disturbance above New Mexico. At first they thought it was a subtle aurora, but the electromagnetic signatures are off the charts and extremely abnormal."

Fury didn't look to worried, in fact he honestly didn't care about a few weather problems. "Is there a chance that this disturbance is just a powerful lightning storm?"

Coulson frowned. "There's a five percent chance of that, sir."

"That still puts it at the bottom of my to-do list." Waving Coulson off, Fury opened a nearby door and walked through it, looking back at Coulson. "But keep up the good work."

And the door closed.

ooooo

In a laboratory, several scientists jumped when Fury barged in through the double doors. One scientist, a Dr. Baldwin, immediately got up from his seat to greet the director.

"Director Fury, sir, please come with me."

Nodding, Fury followed Baldwin over to a table, where a single microscope was set up.

"We did extensive analysis on Tony Stark's blood sample, and discovered an unprecedented level of palladium radioisotopes spreading through his bloodstream. You'll see that here…"

Baldwin motioned towards the microscope, and Fury looked in. He amplified the image and saw blood tissue, but it seemed to be getting overtaken by a dark, dirty looking tissue. Fury guessed it to be the palladium. While Fury studied the infection, Baldwin continued to explain.

"Obviously this is directly related to the arc reactor in his chest." Baldwin said. "You see, palladium is a tricky element. It can to any compound and form a chemical bond. In this case, Mr. Stark."

Fury grunted. "Yes I'm sure it's quite fascinating, but is there a cure for it?"

"No."

Fury blinked, and looked up from the microscope. "No? As simple as that? No cure at all?"

Baldwin shrugged, looking as lost as Fury. "As I said before, sir, its unprecedented. At no point in history has a human being endured such a prolonged and self-inflicted exposure to palladium." Baldwin sighed sadly. "Every second that the arc reactor remains in Mr. Stark's chest brings him closer to a complete breakdown of the circulatory system."

Fury ribbed his forehead. "And you said seventy-two hours?"

Baldwin nodded, but then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small capsule. "Well, there is this. Lithium dioxide. It's not a cure, but it could delay the inevitable. Stave off the systems and give Mr. Stark a little bit longer."

Fury took the capsule, studying it. "Can't you make it stronger? Permanent?"

"As an elemental solution, lithium dioxide is makeshift at best." Baldwin answered, looking a little unsure of himself. "No element known to man offers a permanent countermeasure to palladium."

Fury continued to study the capsule, thinking. Stark as an important asset. He couldn't afford to lose him at this point. He was pulled from his thoughts by an ahem from Baldwin.

"There is one other problem, sir."

Fury groaned slightly, and listened.

"In theory, the lithium dioxide should slow the spread of the infection, but as with any untested formula, there is a slim chance that it could… er…" Baldwin cleared his throat. "kill him instantly."

Before Fury could respond, his cellphone went off. Turning away from Baldwin, Fury answered it.

"Fury."

"Stark's losing control." The voice of Agent Romanoff answered.

Fury sighed, closing his eye. "How bad?"

ooooo

In Malibu, California, a party being held at Tony Stark's mansion had fallen into chaos. Heavily drunk, Stark had donned one of his Iron Man suits and basically put the party goers at risk. His friend, Colonel James Rhodes, donned another suit and attempted to stop Tony, but a fight ended up breaking out between the two.

Currently, Stark was beating roads down with a barbell, while Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow, observed from a safe distance.

"Pretty bad." She spoke into her phone.

She could hear Fury grumble in annoyance on the other end. "Stay put and don't blow your cover unless Stark's about to kill himself. I'll be right there."

Before Natasha could respond, she noticed a flash of light and looked to see that Stark and Rhodes had both fired their repulsor rays at each other. Her eyes widened as the beams intercepted, and she quickly ducked behind a table as the ensuing explosion rocked the mansion.

Stark was blown back, while Rhodes was able to keep himself standing. Getting up from her hiding spot, Natasha watched as Rhodes slowly left the building and rocketed off into the sky. She turned towards Stark, who didn't seem to notice her, and watched as he stumbled slightly outside and flew away in the opposite direction. Soon, the house was silent, save the small fires caused by the fight.

"Natasha?"

Natasha turned towards her phone, which had fallen on the ground. She quickly picked it up.

"Don't bother coming here. Stark just flew the coop."

"Hold tight. I'll get back to you."

Natasha nodded, and hung up.

ooooo

Fury, who had walked out of the laboratory after putting the capsule in his pocket, put away his phone and leaned against the wall with one hand, pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. _Damn Stark…_

"Sir?"

Fury looked up to see Coulson walking towards him with a stack of papers in his hands. Fury frowned.

"Sir, if you'll just take a moment to glance at these satellite readings from the southwest region, you'll see that there is no way…"

"Damnit, Coulson, It'll have to wait!" Fury snapped, and Coulson took a step back. Fury took a deep breath and calmed himself down somewhat. "Get me a line to the World Security Council. They're gonna have to hear me out now."

ooooo

But predictably, they didn't. Several of the councilors didn't even respond to Fury's call, and those who did either dismissed the topic due to personal business or just didn't give a damn. Right now, there was only one councilor left on the screens.

"I apologize, Director Fury. But there has been an unforeseen delay. You must continue to hold for…"

But Fury cut him off before he could finish. Fury looked like he was about to blow a gasket, when an agent came into the room.

"Sir, we've located Tony Stark!"

ooooo

With Agent Romanoff in the passenger's seat, Fury parked the sleak black car into the parking lot of a donut shop. As expected, they found Stark, clad in his armor, sitting inside the enormous donut sign on top the building, munching on a few crispy creams. Not taking his eyes off of Stark, Fury handed Natasha the capsule.

"Go in through the back. When I get him inside, stick him in the neck with these."

ooooo

In the remains of Tony Stark's Malibu home, several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were bustling around as usual. Somehow, Stark was able to get past Coulson instead of staying to finish the research that Fury ordered him to finish, and was now driving around who knows where. Coulson looked outside to see Fury getting out of his car and marching up to the front door. Coulson went out to greet him, but Fury beat him to it.

"I posted you here with one simple task," Fury started angrily. "and you already let Stark break the perimeter!"

Coulson was unnerved. "I had my eyes on a different perimeter."

Fury raised his eyebrow. "Yeah? What perimeter is that?"

"Earth."

Fury frowned, not really understanding, and Coulson continued. "Director Fury, remember that electromagnetic storm that didn't warrant our attention yesterday?"

Fury looked at Coulson incredulously. "How am I supposed to remember something that didn't warrant my attention?"

"Regardless, the activity intensified to where there are now atmospheric flares, all of which resulted in large-scale gravitational lensing." Coulson said, and Fury was doing his best to try and keep up. "I presented the readings to Hikesh, and he confirmed that there is the possibility that this could be a precursor to the opening of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

Fury blinked. "A what-what bridge?"

Coulson looked up at the sky, pointing. "An Einstein-Rosen Bridge. Also known as a wormhole, a portal to another universe opening below the ozone layer."

Fury's face was dead serious. "Well… I think that warrants my attention."

Fury studied Coulson's findings for a few moments, and then returned his gaze to the agent. "This is a mighty big fish, Coulson. Are you sure you want it attached to your line?"

"Sir, normally it would sound unrealistic, but given that fact we have an actualy extraterrestrial in our services is enough for me to put confidence in my conclusion." Coulson argued. "I am also aware that we are doing important work here, and that I'm a big part of it. But this activity in New Mexico is a blind spot for us, sir, and we're not the only ones who have noticed the anomaly."

Coulson showed Fury a photograph, taken by a satellite camera. It showed three people standing near an RV in the middle of a desert. Two young women and one middle-aged man.

"Her name is Jane Foster, and we just flagged a call that she made to an old mentor of her's. Dr. Erik Selvig."

"Selvig?" Fury asked. Banner's old colleague?"

Coulson nodded. "Ms. Foster's been on the scene for weeks and likely knows a lot more than we do."

"Who's the third person?"

Coulson shrugged. "Her name's Darcy Lewis, one of Ms. Foster's peers from Culver University. We looked up some of her personal records, and didn't find anything big. We're guessing this trip is an attempt to heighten her college record. She shouldn't be a problem."

Fury looked a the research again, and then handed it to Coulson. "Congradulations, you just got yourself reassigned. Say goodbye to Stark if you're feeling friendly and get out to the desert asap."

Coulson nodded as Fury departed. "Yes sir."

ooooo

1 Hour Later

Coulson was ordering around the agents, who were quickly picking up shop. "Let's go! Five minutes to clear out."

Coulson noticed Romanoff, clad in her signature black suit, walking up, giving him a friendly smile which he returned.

"Hey."

"Hey, Natasha."

"What's going on here?" Natasha asked, looking around.

"I'm heading to New Mexico. Personal business." Coulson said. Natasha just nodded, understanding, but Coulson looked sorry.

"Sorry for the short notice. Think you can handle things here on your own?"

Natasha smirked. "What could possibly go wrong?"

ooooo

The Stark Explo was in chaos. What started out as a presentation by Justin Hammer turned into a dogfight between Stark, Rhodes, and several hacked combat drones. While the iron men dealt with the drones, Natasha and Happy Hogan, Stark's chauffeur, drove down to the Hammer Tech building to intercept the one responsible: Ivan Venko.

Natasha made short work of the security personnel, but found that Venko had already escaped. Hogan returned to the car, while Natasha worked her way through Venko's server.

"Stark?" Natasha said through the com.

"Yes?" Stark said, still busy.

"I've hacked Rhodey's suit. You got your best friend back." Natasha informed.

Natasha could hear the smile in Stark's voice. "Thank you very much, Agent Romanoff."

Natasha noticed a change in the readings. It looked like there was one drone left. But this one was more advanced. Bigger, too.

"Stark, there's one more drone incoming. This one looks different. The repulsor signature is significantly higher."

"Thanks for the input, ma'am." Stark responded. "We got it form here."

"Good luck, boys." And Natasha cut the call. Picking up her cell phone, Natasha dialed Fury, who instantly picked up.

"I restored Rhodey's suit, but he and Tony are on their own now. T-minus five minutes until the authorities arrive. Should I vanish?"

Fury's demanding voice came in. "Hack the mainframe, and find out what else Hammer has been developing. Take anything that's anything that's worth taking and burn the rest."

Natasha nodded. "On it."

Five minutes later, several police cars surrounded the building, but just as the officers exited their vehicles, the entire building was consumed in a bright explosion. Some of the officers were knocked flat on their backs, and didn't even notice the sleek shadow moving past them illusively.

**Okay, now **_**that**_** took a really long time to write. My fingers really hurt now…**

**Just to inform you, a lot of this dialogue came from the short graphic novel, **_**Fury's Big Week**_**, with several added scenes. Poor Fury. Hate to me that guy…**


	7. Prologue: Fury's Big Week (II)

**Chapter 7 – Fury's Big Week (II)**

The S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost in Roswell, New Mexico was filled with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and covert operatives, all chatting amongst themselves. It was impossible to make out any conversation, and it all just sounded like television static. Pushing through the crowds, Coulson climbed on top of a Humvee, and spoke into a megaphone.

"Attention please!" Coulson announced. "Attention!"

Soon, all eyes were on him, waiting for intel. Coulson cleared his throat. "I would like to thank all of you for your prompt response time and your efficiency in preparing for this operation."

Coulson pointed south. "Our target site is about twenty miles outside of a small town called Puente Antiguo, though we will also be doing intel reconnaissance within town limits. We will always be civil and only expert authority when absolutely necessary."

Coulson heard a few of the operatives mumble, expressing their uncertainty. So, Coulson shared his own feelings towards the operation. "There is no way to be certain what we will find when we arrive, but I am a hundred percent confident that there is nothing that we cannot manage."

ooooo

Several miles south, the skies above the endless desert suddenly started to change. The color of the skies briefly distorted into the form of a nebula, and then dark clouds manifested into a hurricane-like eye. There was a flash of light, and an object, illuminated by white cosmic energy, was ejected from the eye and raced towards the surface like an asteroid. It impacted with the ground with a loud boom, and slowly, the cloud of dirt formed by the impact began to clear.

There, wedged in the earth, was a hammer. But not just any hammer.

It was Mjolnir.

ooooo

_Beep beep beep!_

"Shit…" Grumbled Agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, who was currently resting in his home.

Turning over onto his side, Barton grabbed the phone on his nightstand and read the collar ID.

_Fury_.

"Dammit. It's too early for this…" Barton said, and answered the phone, not even giving Fury a chance to say hello. "This is the first day of the first week of the first vacation I've taken since I signed up to work for you."

On the other end, Fury chuckled. "Oh that's right, silly me. You get yourself some rest. I don't think providing extra muscle at a possible alien crash site is something you'd be interested in anyway."

Barton was suddenly wide eyed and sitting upright. He pulled himself out of bed and exited his room.

"Where am I going?"

"New Mexico."

ooooo

After a full day of travel, Barton finally arrived at the camp that S.H.I.E.L.D. had set up around the alleged alien crash site. He navigated his way through the camp, and finally located Coulson, who was chatting with Sitwell over some readings that were being displayed on a computer screen.

"Coulson?"

Coulson stopped what he was doing and turned towards Barton, giving him a half-smile. "Barton. Glad you could make it."

Barton put his hands in his pockets. "So Fury told me that you caught an alien?"

Coulson shook his head. "That's very inaccurate. We have encountered an extraterrestrial object?"

"Then where's the alien that it belongs to?"

"How would I know? I'm not the alien expert."

"Did you check with Hikesh on this?" Barton asked. "Isn't he our alien expert?."

"I sent him some schematics on the object, but he hasn't reported anything yet." Coulson answered. He did hope the Prothean had some viable info, otherwise they'd be stuck out here for months.

"So what exactly are we dealing with here?" Barton queried.

Coulson showed Barton a display of the object, and Barton saw that it was some kind of mallet. "A hammer?"

Coulson nodded. "That's what it looks like, yeah. But it's giving off massive power fluxuations, and it's almost as if it's reacting to the storm."

"Reacting how?" Barton asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Whenever there's a spark of atmospheric lightning, the readings in the object intensify to enormous levels."

"Have there been any mishaps with it?"

"No. The object hasn't been moved since we found it. In fact, no one can even lift it."

"What are the chances that somebody eventually does?" Barton asked.

"Not likely." Coulson answered with a smirk.

ooooo

From his perch overlooking the encampment, Barton looked on in shock as an entire squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives were taken down by one woman. Not too long ago, Jane Foster and her assistant snuck into the encampment in an attempt to steal back their confiscated research. In the midst of their endeavor, Ms. Foster's assistant picked the hammer, and suddenly underwent a complete wardrobe change. Then, with very little effort, the girl dispatched the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. team and then nearly leveled the entire camp with a bolt of lightning. Lightning! The bolt was actually drawn to her like a conduit.

As the girl put her foot down on Coulson's chest and took something from his pocket, Coulson fired an arrow that he had been holding back. But just as it was about to hit her, the girl sprung a hand up and caught the arrow in midair. She locked eyes with Barton, and Barton could see a smirk on her face as she crushed the arrow in her grip. Then, she pointed the hammer towards him and Barton nearly screamed when a blast of electricity was shot out of it towards him. He leapt off of his perch as the bolt blasted it, and fell face first into the muddy surface below.

Pulling himself up, Barton saw the girl actually flying into the night sky away from the camp, carrying Ms. Foster over her shoulder.

As Barton continued to look on in bewilderment, he unconsciously picked up his walkie-talkie and contacted Coulson.

"You know you're gonna have to tell the boss about this, right?"

On the other end, Coulson gave an irritated response. "Don't remind me."

ooooo

"What do you mean she took it?" Fury said in disbelief. He was currently communicating with Coulson via computer, and watched as the image of Coulson sighed in exhaustion.

"I don't understand it either, sir." He admitted. "Ms. Lewis was somehow able to make off with the hammer and dispatch all of my best agents in the process."

"You said she was just a college flunk." Fury said. "How could she have taken down a platoon of highly trained operatives?"

"Based on the evidence given, we can assume that the hammer was able to enhance her physical attributes." Coulson guessed, and then sighed. "It's a mess up here, sir. All of our equipment is wrecked, the object is gone, and we don't have any idea of how to deal with Lewis."

Fury rubbed his temples. "Just stay put for now, Coulson. I'll figure something out."

Coulson nodded. "Yes, sir."

Fury cut the call, and sat back in his chair, putting his face in his hands. _What next?_

"I got the Hammer Tech data that you…"

Fury looked up and saw Agent Romanoff enter his office. She had stopped talking when she saw his expression, and frowned. "You don't look so hot, boss."

Fury chuckled darkly. "Haven't gotten much sleep in the past few days, thanks for noticing."

Then he looked up seriously. "I need you to get to Culver University and put eyes on Dr. Banner. I got word that General Ross is about to take action against him."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "I thought Sitwell was on Banner."

"He was, but I had to send him to New Mexico."

"Why?"

"BECAUSE I GOT AN ALIEN OBJECT IN NEW MEXICO, THAT'S WHY!" Fury shouted in annoyance.

Natasha might've been slack-jawed, if her face could show it from underneath the overall blankness in her expression. After a few moments of silence, she nodded.

"I'll get right on it."

ooooo

Posing as a college student wasn't a difficult feat for the Black Widow. For the woman whose specialty is disappearing, blending in unnoticed was quite simple. As she made her way through the campus of Culver, searching for her target, she hoped she could get to him before Ross did anything stupid.

"Hey! Excuse me, wait up!"

_Damnit…_

Natasha turned to see a student, male, possibly twenty-one, come up to great her. Scowling in annoyance, Natasha tried to stear away from the young man, but he didn't seem to get the clue.

"You're in my psych class, right?"

Natasha shook her head and continued walking, not even facing the boy. "I think you're mistaken."

But the boy shook his head and walked up to her side, eyeing her curiously. "No, I recognize you. You really stand out."

Before Natasha could tell this guy to buzz off, the sound of glass shattering caught her attention. Looking over to her left, she saw a number of military vehicles had surrounded the glass walkway above the campus' library. Squinting, Natasha made out the image of Bruce Banner standing the walkway. Not only that, but the soldiers had fired canisters into the walway, and it was slowly being filled with knockout gas.

Immediately, Natasha made her way to the library, ignoring the shouts from the student behind her.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Hiding behind a corner, Natasha peared back to get a closer look at the situation. She saw General Ross, barking orders at a female soldier.

"Put two more canisters in there!" He shouted.

Suddenly, there was a loud growl emanating from the walkway, and Natasha's eyes widened when a human hand pressed against the glass and suddenly started to grow larger until it was pulled back. Then, an enormous green… thing busted out through the glass and landed in front of the military posse.

The Hulk breathed heavily, venting its rage, and a frightening snarl formed on its face. Then, flexing his enormous muscles, the Hulk let out an ear shattering roar, and the soldiers instantly opened fire.

For the first time in months, Natasha's unreadable façade fell and was replaced by a look of pure horror.

**Chapter seven! Yes, Darcy Lewis has Mjolnir. Please refer to my other fic, **_**Thordis**_**, because there is no way in hell I'm explaining that again. In other news, the Hulk is back in action, and Natasha has no clue what to do. That's a first, ain't it.**


	8. Prologue: Fury's Big Week (III)

**Chapter 8 – Fury's Big Week (III)**

As the Hulk continued to smash the entire military platoon, Natasha took her phone from her pocket and instantly dialed Fury. After ringing a few times, Fury picked up.

"Fury."

"Boss, this is Romanoff." Natasha responded. "Banner… uh… changed."

"Shit." She heard Fury say.

Natasha jumped when one of the military Humvees exploded, and the Hulk grabbed a tank and swung it at another jeep, sending it flying overhead and into the library.

"Yeah, it's quite a sight."

"And General Ross is there?"

"Yes sir." Natasha said. "They're going at it pretty fiercely. What are your orders?"

"Stay close, and no matter what…" Fury paused for a few moments. "do _not_ let Ross take Banner. Dead or alive."

"Copy that."

Suddenly, one of the jeeps crashed only a few mere inches away from Natasha, who quickly jumped out of the way, but was caught in a cloud of smoke. Coughing, Natasha slowly regained her senses and was shocked to see the Hulk fighting what appeared to be a regular man. However, this man was somehow able to outmaneuver each of the Hulk's attacks and even inflict some physical damage.

Evading a punch from the Hulk, the man delivered a kick right in the jaw that sent the Hulk stumbling backwards.

"Yeah..." Natasha said. "Copy that..."

ooooo

"What is it Nick?" The voice of Soladat Wrekk said over the phone.

"We may have found another potential recruit, Agent Wrekk." Fury said. "I need you to pick up the files and deliver them to Agent Coulson in New Mexico."

"Are you kidding me?" Soladat asked incredulously. "I'm enjoying my me time right now!"

"You can get back to your vacation later, just do it!"

He could hear Soladat grumbling in annoyance. "Fine. I'm heading there right now."

Fury heard her hang up, and put the phone down. He sat in his office, contemplating. First Stark, then Banner, now Lewis. Was it Freak Week or something?

There was a knock on his door, and Fury said come in, and blinked when he saw Romanoff, who looked worse for wear. She also didn't look very happy.

Crossing her arms, Natasha came up to his desk. "We need to talk."

"Did Banner do this to you?"

"A building he knocked over, yeah."

"You need a doctor?"

"Maybe a psychiatrist." Natasha bit harshly. Fury frowned.

"Did Ross get him?"

"No." Natasha shoot her head. "Banner made it out, but…" Natasha closed her eyes for a second, breathing. "they enhanced Blonsky."

Fury just looked at Natasha, trying to think about this new turn of events, when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Taking it out, he answered it, praying for some good news.

"Fury."

"Sir, it's Coulson." The voice of Agent Coulson said. "We have a problem."

"How big?" Fury asked.

ooooo

Coulson hid behind his car, gun in hand, as the creature destroyed the other surrounding vehicles and whatever agents were unfortunate enough to stand in its path. Resembling an enormous armored beetle, the creature fired a blast of ice from its horn that cleared everything in sight.

"Pretty big." Coulson said into the phone. Suddenly, he noticed that the monster had turned its attention to the car nearest to his left, the one Agent Sitwell was hiding behind. As the beast charged its beam, Coulson yelled.

"Sitwell!"

Sitwell looked up just in time to see the beast coming at him, and jumped over to where Coulson was hiding. The beam overtook the car, and a pillar of jagged ice was left in its place.

The two agents watched as the creature surveyed its work, let out an ear-piercing wail and burrowed under the ground and out of sight. The three blue humanoids that had arrived with it spoke amongst themselves, Coulson unable to make out what they were saying, and left towards town.

The agents that managed to survive the attack emerged from their hiding spots. Coulson turned to Sitwell.

"You okay?"

Sitwell frowned. "Define okay. What were those things?"

"I don't know." Coulson said urgently. "But they're heading for town."

Just then, a black car drove up, and Agent Barton hopped out of the driver's seat.

"What the hell happened here?"

"I'd be happy to show you." Coulson said sarcastically. "It's about twenty minutes that way."

Barton looked towards town, and then nodded back at Coulson. "Get in."

Coulson nodded and climbed into the passenger's seat while Sitwell got in the back. As they drove towards Puente Antiguo, Coulson felt his phone vibrating, and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Agent Coulson?"

Coulson blinked. "Hikesh? How the hell did you figure out how to work a phone?"

"Agent Tremel dialed the number for me. I still can't believe that the people of this cycle still type in keys…" The Prothean muttered. Coulson interrupted.

"Save it, Hikesh. What do want? We're a little busy right now."

"I apologize for the interruption, but I went over those reports you made on the object, and made a discovery."

Coulson breathed a sigh of relief. Finally some news. "Well? What did you find?"

"The hammer is made up of a metal not found on this planet, confirming its extraterrestrial origin." Hikesh explained. "Fortunately, I was familiar with the compound. The hammer is made of orihalcon, an incredibly durable metal used frequently by my people during our last cycle."

Coulson took in this new information. "So it can't be found on Earth?"

"No. In fact, the metal itself is extremely difficult to forge. When solid, the metal is practically indestructible and can only be melted down when exposed to solar energy."

"So why wasn't anyone able to lift it?"

"I do not know yet. It is possible that the hammer was held under some kind of lockdown, waiting for a certain individual to claim it."

"Thanks for the information, Hikesh." Coulson said. "But I'll have to come back to you later, we're dealing with a major crisis here."

"Understood." Hikesh said, and hung up.

Suddenly, Barton stopped the car, and Coulson looked over at him with a confused expression.

"Why are we stopping?"

But Barton didn't look at Coulson. His mouth hanging open, he was occupied with something going on outside.

"Thaaaaat's not normal."

Coulson followed Barton's gaze, and was shocked to see Ms. Lewis, still holding the hammer, battling the monster. Coulson and Sitwell's eyes widened as they took in the spectacle.

"Damn right it's not."

**Awesome. Two chapters in one day. It's fun when you have more time to write isn't it. S.H.I.E.L.D. really has its hands full doesn't it. Updates will be coming in a lot sooner from now on, I can promise you that. Review pleaz.**


	9. Prologue: Fury's Big Week (IV)

**Chapter 9 – Fury's Big Week (IV)**

Xegh Hikesh watched the recorded image of the incident in Puente Antiguo. With Agent Tremel standing beside him, he observed it with little emotion, but tapped his chin with his finger in curiousity.

"Freeze the image." Hikesh told Tremel, who complied. The image froze on a closeup of the creature that S.H.I.E.L.D. learned was called Gangr.

"I have seen this before…" Hikesh said. Tremel looked at the Prothean curiously.

"Where?"

"It was a test subject in one of our genetic experiments." Hikesh said. "Except this one is different. It has been genetically modified to a different approach."

"So it's not really a Frost Giant… or whatever it is Coulson called them?" Tremel asked.

Hikesh shook his head. "No. It has no biological connection to the Jotuns. It is called a Karumto. It is a creature from my cycle's prehistoric era."

ooooo

"Dr. Selvig?"

Erik was drawn out of his sleep by the voice of Agent Coulson, and woke up groggily.

"Huh… wha…?"

"We're here." Coulson said, pointing.

Erik looked and saw the sign. Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. This was where Coulson's boss had planned a meeting between the two. Apparantly he needed him for some special research. While Erik hated leaving Jane and Darcy, especially after recent events, this was apparently more urgent.

"Alright." Erik said, turning towards Coulson. "What am I up against here?"

ooooo

Now that the New Mexico fiasco was over, Soladat was sure she would return to her vacation in Vegas. But Fury had other intentions. Since Agent Romanoff had no intention of continuing her assignment of monitoring Banner, who was currently in New York City meeting with his mysterious contact, a cellular biologist named Dr. Samuel Sterns. After locking in on Banner's location, Soladat, wearing a civilian disguise consisting of a leather jacket, Hard Rock café t-shirt, and jean shorts, strode through the streets of New York in search of her target. She had a bag thrown over her shoulder, and was currently making her way to Sterns' apartment. She was assigned to bring in Banner, anything to keep him out of General Ross' path.

Soladat's hair was pulled back in a ponytail so as not to get blown about her face in the wind. Eventually, she arrived at her destination, only to find swarms of police cars and military vehicles already surrounding the vicinity. She frowned when she saw some soldiers exiting the building, with an unconscious banner strapped to a stretcher.

"Damnit." Soladat muttered. She instantly dialed Fury's number, and spoke when he picked up. "Ross beat me here. He's already taken Banner into custody. They're taking him out in a helicopter. Should I pursue?"

"No. We don't need you downing another helicopter." Fury ordered. "I need you to get to Dr. Sterns' lab on the third floor and make sure that Banner didn't leave him anything to work with."

"Copy that." Soladat said, and hung up.

She quickly ran up the steps and towards the front entrance, but stopped when the ground suddenly began to shake. The soldiers and cops looked around in confusion. Suddenly, there was a loud roar, and Soladat looked up just in time to see a large bulky creature smash its way out of the third floor. It was similar to the Hulk, but was brown and had a number of bony protrusions in its skin, such as its spine. Soladat quickly leapt out of the way to avoid being crushed by the monster, and the concrete caved in beneath its feat.

With a bewildered expression, Soladat watched the thing plow through soldiers and police cars, and then disappear into the streets.

"Okay, that's definitely not good." Soladat said. She took out her phone, but found that it was now totaled.

"Of course."

Unnoticed by the soldiers, Soladat opened up her bag and took out an Accuracy International L96, all the way from the United Kingdom. Soladat smirked. Fury may have told her to pack light, but it was just a habit of hers.

Moving stealthily into the building, Soladat made her way up the stairs, and eventually came across Sterns' apartment. Finding it unlocked, she found the apartment trashed. Making her way into the room she assumed used to be the laboratory, she found an enormous hole in the wall that the creature had come out of.

"Uuuugghhhh….."

Soladat blinked, and looked around for the source of the noise.

"Uuuuuhghhhh…. Help…. Me…."

Soladat followed the direction of the voice, and saw a foot sticking out from behind a large piece of rubble. Using strength a normal person wouldn't possess, Soladat pulled the rubble off of the body, and her head reared back in surprise when she saw the man's face.

The man's face had turned a sickly yellowish color, and his left eye was now green, in contrast with the blue in his other one. The left side of his head was swelling and pulsating, and there was a trickle of blood running down from a cut in his forehead. Upon seeing Soladat, the man smiled sickly.

"My goodness, aren't you pretty…"

"Dr. Sterns?" Soladat guessed.

The man tilted his head, and slowly pulled himself up. "I think perhaps I once was…"

He turned towards Soladat, and grinned. "But now I shall become much more."

The man stood up, glowering at Soladat, who instantly raised her gun. "Don't move. I'm going to get you medical attention."

Sterns lifted his hands up to stop her. "Oh no, my dear. I am the only doctor that I will require. But I will be requiring your assistance."

"Excuse me?"

"I am changed now. I see my future unfolding. It is an illustrious future defined by power and influence. A future that begins this very instant."

"Right…" Soladat said. This man was totally fucked, both physically and mentally. Fury needed to see this. "Look, why don't you just come with me. I know a guy who can…"

"I assure you, I'm quite fine, my little angel darling."

Soladat blinked, and then glared, her gun still pointed towards him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I can sense faint traces of vibranium from you. Bent in a certain shape. Like wings, as beautiful and divine as an angel. It suggests a little genetic tampering." Sterns said with a sick grin. "But you were hurt while being given this gift, yes? Whatever the evil men did to you, whatever your heart desires, I can help you get it. All you have to do for me is… AAAGH!"

Soladat shot the man square in the kneecap, and Sterns instantly fell over in pain, gripping his leg. Looking royally pissed, Soladat put the gun over her shoulder and turned towards an active computer that was fortunate enough to survive the chaos. Taking a data slate given to her by Fury, Soladat plugged it into the computer and waited for it to siphon the necessary data.

"You will suffer for this!" Sterns hissed from behind.

Soladat didn't even turn to look at him as she started to dial her phone. "Oh, shut up."

She held the phone up to her face. "This is Archangel calling in a cleanup team. I'll mark the location with flares on the roof."

Taking the data slate from the computer, Soladat removed her jacket and turned towards the enormous hole in the wall. She jumped, and her metal wings instantly unfolded behind her. Rising high above the air, she flew up to the roof and landed, folding her wings slightly as she reached into her bag. She pulled out a flare and lit it up. As she waved it in the air, her attention was suddenly directed by a large explosion in the distance.

"What the hell?"

It was then she noticed a form being hurled from the blaze, and she jumped back when it landed only a few feet from her, and the ground shook. She saw that it was the same creature from before, and her face paled when it noticed her. It snarled, and looked ready to pounce on her, when something else fell from the sky and plowed it into the concrete. It was the Hulk.

The Hulk bashed his opponent several times, and then plucked it out of the ground, swung it around by its foot, and then let go, sending it careening off into the distance. The Hulk then noticed the winged woman standing a few feet away, nervously holding a sniper rifle. They stared at each other for a few moments, before Soladat smiled and waved awkwardly.

"Uh… hi?"

The Hulk grunted as if acknowledging her greeting and then leapt off in persuit of the other creature. Soladat just looked in awe, not even noticing the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter landing nearby.

ooooo

Fury sat alone in his office as usual, and was finally able to enjoy some peace and quiet. He sat motionless, his hands folded as he thought over the week's events. He looked up when he heard someone enter, and saw that it was Agent Wrekk.

"Nick." She greeted.

Fury nodded. "Agent Wrekk. I hear that Banner escaped."

"Yeah." Soladat nodded. "But General Ross took that other… thing. It looked like a deformed dinosaur."

"And Dr. Sterns?"

"He's being taken to the Mojave facility. Just another thing to add to their little science fair." Soladat said sarcastically.

Fury sighed. "Well at least one thing went right."

"Nick…" Soladat started, sighing. "This is too much. Too much for all of us to handle."

Fury looked at her, his seriousness never fading. "Never thought I'd hear _you_ say that."

Soladat frowned. "You took me in even after everything A.I.M. did to me, and I'm grateful. But this is different. These are gods and monsters and machines of war we're mixed up with. I'm supposed to go up against the Hulk with thirty pounds of armor piercing bullets? I don't think so."

Fury closed his eye and sighed, but Soladat wasn't finished. "You know that I would follow you anywhere, Nick, but we're outmatched here. The sooner we accept it, the sooner we can stop wasting our time pretending that we can make a difference."

Fury sat back, rubbing his chin as he took in everything Soladat said. Soladat just looked at him, her arms crossed, waiting for a response. Eventually, she got one.

"You're right." He looked up at her. "And I'd like you to see something."

Soladat frowned in confusion, and walked up behind Fury, who turned on his computer and dialed for the World Security Council.

After a few moments, the images of all the council members appeared on the screen. The man in the center spoke.

"Director Fury. I take it that you have an important matter you'd like to discuss?"

Fury nodded. "Yes I do."

Soladat watched as Fury started typing. "I'm sending you a prospectus for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new budgetary allocations. You'll see that it substantially increases funding for the agency, expands jurisdiction for my agents, and augments my strategic authority."

"You ask for quite a lot, Director Fury." The British woman in the council said.

"The whole world, some might say." Fury said, smirking.

Another councilman spoke. "Tell us, has there been any significant progress with the Tesseract recently?"

Fury smirked. "Nope."

The British woman spoke again, not sounding pleased. "Reigniting the Tesseract was and will remain your primary objective as director S.H.I.E.L.D., yet you have made no headway."

The Indian man on the far end spoke. "Please, enlighten us. What have you accomplished as of late that would justify compensation of this magnitude?"

"Hmm. Let me think…" Fury said, smirking. "It's been such a busy week."

Soladat smiled slightly. She liked it when Fury went against the Council.

"I not only saved Tony Stark's life, but I also provided the guidance he needed to finish his father's work." Fury explained. "The result of that being the creation of a new element, which might be extremely useful in reigniting the Tesseract."

"After that, I discovered evidence of an advanced extraterrestrial civilization that, if I'm not mistaken, was responsible for creating the Tesseract. Maybe Ms. Darcy Lewis, another recent ally, can learn more about the Tesseract from its people, considering she now wields a piece of their technology. Just a thought."

"After that, I ran interference to keep that halfwit goon General Ross from destroying New York City with his enhanced psycho-soldier." Fury said with a chuckle. "I'd hate to speculate on how a man like Ross got his hands on the classified intelligence that led to that horrifying incident."

"Director Fury…" One of the councilors began, but was cut off.

"Oh! And meanwhile, I've kept a small team on the hunt for Steve Rogers, which I know might be perceived as disobeying orders. I just thought it might be handy to have access to the only human being on this planet that has had any direct experience with the Tesseract."

Fury sat back in his seat, resting his feet up on the desk. "Anyway, that's what I've been up to. I've also done some thinking, and in doing so I've realized that the world is changing. Getting more dangerous." Fury's face turned serious again. "One thing I know for sure: nobody is better suited to protect this world than me and my people. All we need are the means to do what we do best."

The room was silent as Fury looked at the council expectantly. Soladat looked wide eyed, impressed by Fury's big speech. She too was eager to hear what they had to say. She jumped when the voice of the British woman spoke out of the blue.

"We have reviewed your prospectus."

The councilor depicted in the center of the screen spoke. You will have all that you require by the month's end. Good day, Director Fury."

And with that, the conversation ended.

Fury looked up at SOladat and smiled. "You must be my lucky charm, Archangel."

Soladat smirked. "You think?"

"I've made half a dozen calls of that nature, and this is the first time they've really listened."

Soladat rested her hand on Fury's shoulder. "You did good, Nick."

Fury sighed. "I just hope it's enough."

He then opened a small file on the computer, and instantly the screen was filled up with news articles of the Hulk incident, the incident in New Mexico, and so forth. Soladat whistled in exasperation, while Fury just sighed.

"Because I never want to get caught off-guard like that ever again."

ooooo

**One year later…**

"Come on, Nana! Hurry up!"

A young eskimo boy clad in a blue parka waved for his sister, who was clad in a pink parka, to come here. Popo and Nana, twin natives of the arctic island of Bouvetøya, were busy exploring the frozen landscape. Their father had recently set their fishing ship here so they could rest for the night, and the adventurous twins snuck out in the dead of night to explore. Nana, however, was growing tired.

"Popo, it's late, and papa's probably wondering where we are. We should go back."

Popo made a face. "Come on, sis, we've been stuck on that boat for days! I want to stay and explore!"

Nana sighed. "Popo…"

"Come on, Nana. Please?"

Nana sighed. "Your such a dork."

Popo smiled, and pulled his sister along. After walking a few meters, they stopped when they heard a loud clank underneath Popo's foot. Looking down, Popo tapped his foot against the ground and the clanking sound was heard again. The twins looked at each other curiously, and then bent down to get a closer look. Popo felt the area where he had stepped on, and was surprised when it felt smooth. He wiped the snow away, and was surprised to see a metal surface.

"What is it?" Popo asked.

Nana shook her head. "I don't know. Popo, we should seriously go back now…"

Popo frowned. "Cool it, Nana."

He felt around a bit more, and felt a small opening, like a handle. "It's like a hatch. Must be an opening to something."

"That's great. Can we head back now?"

But Popo didn't listen, and instead started to pull on the hatch, grunting as he put all of his strength into it. Nana tried to tell him to stop, but he didn't listen. After a few more tugs, Popo fell back as the hatch suddenly flew open. He rolled backwards down a small hill.

"Popo!" Nana yelled, and went over to help her brother up. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Popo said, wiping the snow from his parka. "Did I get it open?"

"Yeah."

"Cool! Let's see whats inside." Popo said.

"Are you crazy?" Nana said. "I'm not going in there!"

Popo huffed. "Fine, I'll go."

Nana nodded. "Yeah, you do that."

Popo entered through the hatch feet first, and then looked back at his sister, smiling evilly. "Yeah, I'll go in and look, while you stay out here and… watch for polar bears."

Nana just nodded plainly as Popo entered through the hatch. "Yeah, I'll just… wait… What?!"

She looked around, suddenly scared, and immediately crawled in through the hatch. "Popo wait for me!"

Popo smirked as his sister came up beside him, but couldn't make out anything because it was so dark. "Nana, do you have your flashlight?"

"Uh… yes!" Nana said, and the room was instantly illuminated when Nana switched it on. It looked like the interior of a plane. The twins blinked.

"Woah." Popo said, looking around. Nana looked astonished too.

"What is this place?" She asked

"I don't know."

Nana shined the flashlight around some more, and stopped when she noticed something. Getting a closer look, she rubbed some ice off of it, and saw that it was some kind of plate. It had a red and blue striped design with a big white star in the center.

"Hey, Popo, come look at this."

Popo came up next to her, and looked at it. "What is it?"

"I don't know. Looks kind of like the American flag…"

"The American flag isn't shaped like that, sis."

"I know!" Nana spat. "But the stripes and the star do…"

Popo got up. "Come on, we should get dad! He's gotta see this."

Nana nodded. "Okay."

The two got up and made their way towards the hatch, but as they climbed up towards it, Nana slipped and slid down a small layer of ice, screaming.

"Nana!" Popo shouted. Nana landed with an oomf. She noticed her flashlight and rached out to grab it, but felt her face hit something. Blinking, Nana grabbed the flashlight and shined it at the object in front of her, and screamed bloody murder. She instantly jumped to her feet, and Popo came up next to her.

"What?! What's wrong?"

Nana pointed the flashlight towards the thing, and Popo blinked when he saw it. It was a hand, and it was attached to something obscured by the ice. It was covered in a red glove, and was frozen solid.

"Yeah… let's get dad."

ooooo

The Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. facility was quite active today. Coulson walked through the building, a happy smile on his face. Progress was going along a lot smoothly than usual. Passing by a familiar room, he was greeted by , surprisingly, Carrie White. The girl had improved over the past year. Her hair was now cut short, showing more of her pretty young face, and her bright blue eyes were now a lot more noticeable. Months of therapy had made her much more stable, and she now used her powers only for harmless deeds. She had come to grown used to these sessions with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and was more friendlier towards others. But she was still haunted by the ordeal in Chamberlain…

"Hi, Mr. Coulson." The girl greeted kindly.

Coulson nodded. "Ms. White. How are you feeling today?"

"Alright." She said shyly. Coulson gave her a friendly smile and let her return to her room. Continueing down the hall, he passed by Agent Tremel.

"Ah, Agent Coulson." Tremel said. "I need to talk to you."

"What do you need?"

"I looked up everything I could on this Claire Voyant person, but there was no data at all regarding such a person."

Coulson frowned. "Okay… so no good news?"

"I wasn't finished." Tremel said. "While I wasn't able to find record of anyone with that name, I did find records regarding a rumor regarding a Claire Voyant. The rumors have concerned a number of murders that have occurred for the past ninety years."

"Murders?" Coulson said. "What kind of murders?"

"Not normal ones." Tremel said. "The bodies show no signs of injury. They're just… dead. And each of the bodies have some kind of marking engraved in their heads, like a celtic mark."

Coulson watched as Tremel took out a file, and read it. "It says here that the mark is the symbol of Mephisto."

"Mephisto?" Coulson said, confused. "What's Mephisto?"

Tremel cleared her throat. "Well according to some of my research, Mephisto was a demon worshipped by the Canaanites and the Sumerians. Sort of an angel of death. In some interpretations, it's been depicted as the Devil."

"Okay…" Coulson said. "That's very interesting, but what does this have to do with Claire Voyant?"

"I was getting to that." Tremel said. "At every one of these murders, this woman here…"

Tremel showed him a picture of a snapshot taken during one of the murders. It showed a blonde woman black lips, and black eyes. "She matches the exact description that Fury gave of this Voyant person. I have other snapshots of her present during each of the crime scenes, except the weird thing is, some of the murders are over fifty years away from each other, and she still appears in the same shape and form. Like no signs of aging at all."

Coulson frowned. "Hm… Why don't you give me those files? I'll try looking over more of the information."

Tremel nodded and then gave the file to Coulson. She saluted him, and then left. Coulson walked down a few more halls until he reached his office. When he entered, he was surprised to find Fury already seated at his desk.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here." Coulson said. Fury smirked.

"I was woken up by a call this morning. A call from up north with big news." Fury said. "We found Steve Rogers."

Coulson blinked, and looked like he was about to pass out. Fury got up from his seat and grabbed Coulson's shoulder, shaking it, and put a folder in Coulson's hand. "Take a deep breath. I need you to gas up the jet and set a flight path for these coordinates."

Coulson nodded. "Yes, sir."

He started to leave, but then remembered. "Oh, yeah. Agent Tremel did her research on this Voyant character. Here are her findings."

He handed Tremel's file to Fury, who took it and nodded. With that, Coulson left the room.

ooooo

Elsewhere, in the furthest regions of space, a certain god of mischief observed the planet Earth. After a whole year of planning, he was ready. He turned towards the purple skinned beast seated in the throne. The being looked at him expectantly.

"It is time."

**And that is the end of Fury's Big Week. And yes, Popo and Nana found Captain America. For those of you that don't know who they are, they are the Ice Climbers from Nintendo's **_**Super Smash Bros. **_**fighting games. The idea was given to me by my little brother, whose a big fan of the game. But it was just a cameo here. They probably won't appear again.**

**Now to those who were wondering, yes, the past few chapters were sort of a prologue to this fic. But next chapter, the real action starts. Thank you all for reading, and I can't wait to read your reviews.**


	10. Phase One: Arrival

**Chapter 10 – Arrival**

The Mojave Desert facility was in chaos. The facility's personnel were all running around looking for evacuation methods or collecting their own personal research. Ten minutes ago, an announcement instructed everyone in the facility to evacuate immediately. To the personnel, it was just a mishap with some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most classified material. But that was far from the truth. For tonight, a chaotic battle between good and evil would begin.

Agent Coulson exited the main building as a helicopter slowly made its descent. Once it landed, the door slid open and Nick Fury exited, followed closely by Maria Hill, Fury's second in command and one of the agency's highest ranking espionage operatives. Fury walked up, nodding to Coulson.

"How bad is it?"

"That's the problem, sir." Coulson said. "We don't know."

ooooo

Carrie looked around scared as four agents quickly escorted her out of her room. Everyone was running around looking for a way out, and the excitement around her made her nervous. She sighed in relief when her friend, Agent Tremel, came up.

"Maureen, what's happening? What's going on?"

"Something bad." Tremel answered. "We gotta get you out of here."

Carrie blinked. She hadn't left the facility in two years. She quickly followed Tremel onto a helicopter, and as it took off, she looked down at the facility one final time.

ooooo

Fury and Hill followed Coulson deep into the main research building, descending down numerous flights of stairs and passing by numerous evacuating agents and scientists.

"Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hour ago." Coulson explained.

"We didn't authorize Selvig to test the Tesseract." Fury said, frowning. But Coulson shook his head.

"He wasn't testing it, sir. He wasn't even in the room." He explained. "Hikesh thinks it was spontaneous advancement."

"It just turned itself on?" Agent Hill spoke up for the first time. Fury took in a deep breath.

"What are the readings now?"

"Climbing." Coulson said. "Hikesh is doing his best to contain the flares, but we ordered evac just in case."

"How long will it take to get everyone out?" Fury asked.

"Campus should be clear in the next half hour." Coulson responded.

"Make it better." Fury ordered. Coulson nodded, and left the pair. Agent Hill, looking unsure, strode up to Fury's side.

"Sir, evacuation may be futile." She said with a no-nonsense tone.

Fury looked at her incredulously. "You want me to tell everyone to go back to sleep?"

Hill frowned. "Sir, if we can't control the Tesseract's energy, there may not be a minimum safe distance."

Fury walked up a few steps, and then stopped and turned to face Agent Hill, who stepped back at the look he was giving her. "I need you to make sure that phase two prototypes are shipped out, and just hope that Hikesh finds some way to contain the loose energy."

"I don't trust Hikesh." Hill said.

"And I don't trust anybody," Fury retorted, "but until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on. Clear out the tech below. Every piece of phase two on a truck and gone."

Hill sighed, and then saluted. "Yes, sir."

ooooo

Fury entered the laboratory that the Tesseract was currently being held. He saw numerous scientists bustling around trying to fix the mess. Looking to his left, he saw Dr. Erik Selvig frantically typing on a high tech computer. Looking over at the object of importance, he saw Hikesh surrounded in a dark energy field, carefully trying to handle the Tesseract. Suddenly, there was a spark of blue energy and Hikesh's dark matter shield broke, and he stumbled back, hissing. When Dr. Selvig first came to the facility, you can imagine he was shocked to see the Prothean there. While he had heard Darcy make mention of an alien being in S.H.I.E.L.D. services, he didn't actually believe her until now. Over time, though, the two cooperated with each other, as both were very capable in the scientific range. Fury called to Selvig.

"Doctor?"

Selvig turned towards Fury, and nodded. "Director."

Hikesh walked up to the pair, shaking his hand around to rid himself of the burning feeling. Fury nodded to them both. "What do we know?"

"The Tesseract is misbehaving." Selvig said.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Fury said with a frown.

"Do we look amused to you?" Hikesh said, his four eyes glaring. Fury gave the Prothean a look and then turned back to Selvig.

"How soon can you pull the plug?"

"The Tesseract is an energy source, Director Fury." Hikesh spoke up. "If we attempt to turn off the power, it will turn itself back on. And if she reaches peak level…"

Fury interrupted him. "We've prepared for this, gentlemen. Harnessing energy from space."

Selvig just shook his head. "We don't have the harness. Our calculations are far from complete. Now she's throwing off interference, radiation. Nothing harmful, low levels of gamma radiation."

Fury blinked, images of the Hulk flashing through his head. He looked at Selvig wearily. "That can be harmful."

Fury suddenly remembered something, and looked around. "Where's Agent Barton?"

Selvig and Hikesh looked at each other, and then back at Fury.

"The hawk?" Selvig asked, and Fury nodded. Selvig motioned upwards. "Up in his nest, as usual."

Fury looked up, and saw Agent Barton perched on a lone railing suspended from the ceiling. Fury locked eyes with the master archer, and motioned for him to come down. Nodding, Barton took out his signature bow and arrow, shot an arrow with a cable attached to it, and flew down it like a zipline. He landed next to Fury, and soon the two were walking slowly side by side.

"I gave you this job so you could keep a close eye on things." Fury reminded the agent.

Barton shrugged. "Well I see better from a distance."

Fury looked over at Barton. "Are you seeing anything that might set this thing off?"

Barton shook his head, contemplating. "No one's come or gone. It's oven is clean. No contacts, no I.M.'s. If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn't at this end."

Fury blinked, and then frowned. "At _this_ end?"

"Yeah." Barton said, looking at Fury. "The cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right? Doors open from both sides."

Fury took this in and considered it, but before he could say anything else, Hikesh spoke up.

"Director, it's spiking again!"

Selvig instantly ran over to the computer monitor and read the levels. He cursed slightly when he saw then rising dramatically. Suddenly, the machine containing the Tesseract started to shake as pulsations of blue energy began emanating from the cube. Everyone in the room backed away from it as the pulsations only intensified. Suddenly, a blue beam shot out from the Tesseract and struck the wall at the far end of the room. A torrent of blue energy formed in the impact zone, and as the beam continued to fire, the torrent continued to grow. Then, the beam stopped, and the torrent suddenly exploded outward, sending washes of energy in different directions. The room's occupants stumbled slightly at the force of the blow, but the energy didn't harm that at all and merely bounced up the walls and gathered at the ceiling, moving around as if trying to find an escape route.

But the energy wasn't what the room's occupants were so focused on. It was the figure that was left standing in the place where the beam had fired.

Yes, it was a grown man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had pale white skin and long, sleak black hair. He had dark shadows under his eyes, making him look as though he hadn't slept in days. He was wearing green robes that reminded Erik of the Asgardian armor Darcy wore whenever she was using Mjolnir. He was holding a golden scepter with a blue gem placed at the end, and a bladed tip.

The man had his eyes closed, and breathed heavily as if taking in fresh air. He rubbed his forhead, feeling if his skin was still intact and then opened his eyes. They were the greenest eyes anyone had ever seen. It was then that he noticed he wasn't alone. Six armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents slowly approached him, their guns raised.

"Sir?"

The man looked up in the direction of Director Fury, who spoke to him calmly. "Please put down the spear."

The man blinked, and then looked at the weapon he was carrying. He briefly looked back at Fury, and then with a grunt, he jerked the spear forward and a blast of blue energy suddenly shot out of the gem.

Barton's eyes widened as the blast raced towards them, and he quickly pulled Fury out of the way and the blast impacted with the machine behind them.

The agents instantly opened fire on him, but the bullets just seemed to bound right off of him. With a warrior's yell, the man leapt towards one of the agents and plunged the bladed tip of his scepter into his chest. The man got off of his victim, and quickly pulled three knives and threw them at the other agents. All three agents grunted in pain as they each had a blade imbedded into their throats, and they all fell to the ground, dead. One agent came up and attempted to beat his head with the barrel of his shotgun, but the man just smacked his face with the scepter, sending him flying backwards.

Turning towards the others gathered around him, the man fired another blast from his scepter, which raced towards Hikesh and Selvig. Hikesh quickly raised a dark energy shield, and the blast was caught in midair and slowly dissipated. The man fired a second blast at a trio of unfortunate scientists. The one standing in the middle was vaporized by the impact, while the ensuing blast sent the other two flying. Agent Barton ran up to attack him directly, but the man just kicked him away with little effort.

The man surveyed his work with satisfaction, having not even broken a sweat.

Barton slowly started to get up, grunting, and he sensed the intruder approaching. Quickly, he pulled a knife from his pocket and turned around to attack the assailant, but his wrist was seized. The man tightened his grip, and the knife fell from Barton's hand.

The man smiled evilly. "You have a heart."

Fury, Hikesh, and Selvig, the only other ones left standing, watched in shock as the man pointed the head of his spear at Barton's heart. Barton gasped, and his eyes were suddenly overcome with black. He shook for a few moments before calming down, and his eyes were suddenly normal looking, albeit with bright blue irises. The man let go of Barton, who didn't even make any move to attack him and just stood there, as if waiting for the man to give orders. Hikesh grimaced. It was like Reaper indoctrination...

The man turned towards another agent, who groaned and started to get up. Walking over to him, the man pulled him up and repeated the same process as before. While the man was busy, Fury quickly made his way over to the Tesseract. He quickly pulled it out of the device, and he felt intense heat burn through his glove as the Tesseract was still cooling down from the blast. Opening a silver briefcase, Fury placed I inside a secured socket, shaking his hand off and hissing in pain from the heat. He closed the briefcase, and stood up. He was about to leave.

"Please don't." The man spoke, and Fury stopped. "I still need that."

Fury didn't turn to face the attacker. "This doesn't have to get any messier."

"Of course it does." The man spat coldly. "I've come too far for anything else."

Fury turned to face the man, giving him his most intimidating glare. The man wasn't moved. With Barton and the other controlled agent standing behind him, the man rose his head defiantly.

"I am Loki, of Asgard." He introduced. "And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

Hikesh blinked. Asgard? He knew that name. Yes, something his people had been involved with.

"Loki?" Selvig spoke, standing up with wide eyes. "Darcy's friend?"

At the mention of the name Darcy, Loki scowled, and snapped, "We are _not_ friends."

Ignoring the exchange, Fury rose his hand calmly. "We have no quarrel with your people."

Loki chucked. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot."

Fury frowned, lowering his hand. "You planning to step on us?"

Loki just smiled. "I come with glad tidings, of a world made free."

But Fury looked apprehensive. "Free from what?"

"Freedom." Loki hissed, glaring. "Life's great lie. It is a chaotic factor that drives even the most intelligent of beings to their doom. Once you accept that, in your heart..."

He suddenly turned towards Selvig, he gasped as the tip of the scepter touched his heart. His eyes were instantly overcome with black, and soon, they were blue just like Barton's.

Loki smiled. "… you will know peace."

Suddenly, Loki noticed a green glow coming from behind him. He turned, and it was then he actually noticed the Prothean present in the room. He blinked when he saw the green aura flaring around him.

"Release them." Hikesh demanded.

"Strange. You are not human." Loki said. Then he frowned. "Unexpected."

Ignoring Loki's words, Hikesh's dark energy intensified. "You will release them now, mutant!"

Loki's eyebrow rose at the mutant part, and then chucked. "I don't think so. I need their assistance in this."

"If you will not release them," Hikesh started, "then I will make you."

Loki's eyes widened when a wave of green energy was released from the Prothean's hand, and suddenly felt himself flying back several meters. He hit a piece research equipment, and fell face first onto the floor. Barton and the other controlled agent fired their pistols at Hikesh, but the barrier around him vaporized the bullets before they could reach him. Jerking his hands out again, Hikesh encased the agents in bubbles of dark energy, and closed his hands. When he opened them, the agents were sent flying back as well.

Hikesh turned towards Fury. "Director, take the Tesseract and… UGH!"

Hikesh stumbled when Loki, who was suddenly upon him, snarling, beat his head with the blunt end of the scepter. Fury took out his pistol and prepared to shoot at Loki, but he grunted when a bullet hit him square in the chest, and he fell back, dropping the briefcase.

Agent Barton put his pistol away and marched up to Fury, taking the briefcase. He turned towards Loki.

"Sir!"

Loki looked over at Barton, and then at Hikesh. He beat the Prothean down with the scepter, and then left him. With Barton, Selvig, and the other agent that most of you readers obviously don't give a shit about exited the room.

Hikesh quickly pulled himself up, and then went over to Fury. Thankfully, he was alive. The cavlar he was wearing protected him from the shot.

"They have the Tesseract." Hikesh said.

"Damnit." Fury muttered. "We need to contact Hill."

The Prothean shook his head and pointed upwards. "There is no time. Look."

Fury followed the Prothean's finger and saw that the energy gathered in the ceiling was sparking uncontrollably.

"The excess energy from the portal is becoming unstable." Hikesh explained. "We only have a few minutes until it goes critical."

"Shit." Fury cursed. He was about to give the Prothean and order, but he beat him to it.

"You must evacuate with the others. But do not worry. I will get the Tesseract."

Thinking it over, Fury nodded, and quickly left the laboratory while Hikesh ran off in pursuit of the intruder.

ooooo

Loki, Barton, Selvig, and the other agent entered the garage. Agent Hill was there, as she had just finished sending off the last few ground agents. She saw the group coming in.

"We need these vehicles." Barton said, referring to some of the jeeps. Hill nodded, and let them pass. It was then she noticed Loki.

"Who's that?" She asked, stepping forward with a frown.

Barton didn't face her. "He didn't tell me."

Loki looked at her without emotion, and Hill turned, giving him an uncertain look. As she slowly started to leave, she blinked when Hikesh, his green aura surrounding him, suddenly barged in.

"Hill, get down!"

Immediately, Hill ducked as gunshots were fired, but of course the aura protected Hikesh. When the jeep started to leave, Hikesh quickly fired an energy blast, but Loki fired a blast of his own, stopping the attack in midair. Hill fired her gun at the retreating vehicle, but it was already gone. Hikesh helped her up.

"They have the Tesseract!" He said. "We must track it down."

Nodding, Hill jumped into another jeep, and Hikesh got into the passenger's seat. Not even fastening her seatbelt, Hill started the jeep and raced off in pursuit of the enemies.

Racing through a tunnel, Loki and his crew found themselves being pursued by several vehicles. One agent attempted to fire at them with a pistol, but Loki turned towards them, his scepter pointed out. A blue blast was fired, striking the car. The front exploded and the car slid wildly and into a nother vehicle, damaging it. This effectively cut off the other pursuing vehicles, and Loki smiled in satisfaction.

Suddenly, Hill and Hikesh drove in from an adjacent route and spun around, facing Loki and his crew directly. Hill drove her foot down on the break, and the jeep stopped, but Loki's vehicle continued to move and smashed nose to nose against Hill's jeep. Hill and Hikesh's heads jerked forward as their vehicle was driven forward by the other. Taking her pistol, Hill fired at the driver, and Barton quickly jerked his head to the side to avoid the shot. Hill fired a few more times, but each shot was ineffective. Standing over the roof of the car, Loki fired another energy blast, but Hikesh raised a barrier just in time, protecting the jeep from the blast.

ooooo

Agent Coulson and several other agents quickly raced down the steps as the ground started shaking violently, evidence that the out of control energy was intensifying to unstable levels. Some of the agents dropped a few canisters they were carrying, labeled phase two. They attempted to pick them up, but Coulson stopped them.

"No, leave it!"

Obeying his command, the agents followed him towards a black van that was waiting for them. As soon as they entered it, the driver slammed his foot on the gas and the van raced away from the facility. Picking up his walkie-talkie, Coulson contacted Fury.

"We're clear upstairs sir, but the last ground transport has left. You're gonna have to take a helicopter."

"Copy that."

ooooo

On the roof of the building, Fury saw the helicopter, but also saw that the floor was starting to crack and crumble. He quickly got into the helicopter.

"Get us out of here!" He told the pilot, who nodded and the helicopter was airborne in minutes. Below them, the building crumbled and slowly fell apart as the vibrations got worse.

Suddenly, explosions started rocking the entire area. The energy had finally become to unstable and imploded.

Fury watched as the entire facility collapsed. The ground beneath it cracked and opened, and the entire facility was sucked into the abyss. Looking to the east, he saw a few vans escaping. Hopefully Coulson, Hill, and Hikesh were among them.

ooooo

The jeep swerved as the explosion shook the tunnel, and Loki quickly fired an energy blast at the front, pushing the jeep away. While Hill and Hikesh were left behind, Loki and his brainwashed lackeys drove safely from the tunnel. Hikesh raised a protective barrier over him and hill as rubble started to cave in around them.

Loki's crew exited the tunnel, finally in the wide open air and away from the doomed facility. However, Loki scowled when he spotted a helicopter flying in to intercept them. His scowl only increased when he saw Fury standing inside.

Raising his pistol, Fury attempted to make a few shots at the group, but the distance made it increasingly difficult.

Loki quickly pulled himself up, and pointed the scepter at the copter. Jerking the scepter back, Loki unleashed an energy blast, which exploded against the helicopter's tail, blowing it clean off.

Fury quickly leapt from the helicopter as it crashed and slid a few meters away until the friction slowed it down. Pulling himself up, Fury spotted the jeep retreating into the distance, and fired a few futile shots.

But it was already gone.

"Director?" The voice of Coulson spoke. "Director Fury, do you copy?"

Taking his walkie-talkie, Fury spoke. "The Tesseract is with a hostile force. I have men down. Hill?"

Hill's line came in. "Hikesh and I are alive, sir. But we've got lot of men still under. Don't know how many survivors."

"Sound the general call." Fury demanded. "I want every living soul not needing rescue looking for that briefcase."

"Roger that." Hill responded.

"Coulson," Fury spoke into the walkie-talkie, "get back to base. This is a level seven."

Taking a deep breath, Fury said the few words that nobody really wanted to hear. "As of right now, we are at war."

The line was silent for a few moments, when the voice of Agent Coulson came in. "What do we do?"

Fury looked into the distance where the jeep had been driving towards. With a look of determination written on his features, he brought the walkie-talkie up to his face.

"What we were trained to do."

**Duh duh duh! Phase one has begun! I'm so stoked on writing this fic right now :). I hope most of you are enjoying it cuz I am. Next chapter, S.H.I.E.L.D. rounds up the Avengers and prepares for war. Review pleaz!**


	11. Phase One: The World's Finest

**Chapter 11 – The World's Finest**

Soladat soared through the night sky, clad in her uniform. With the wind blowing against her face, she had her hair tied back and was keeping a close eye out for something important. Eventually, she found it. Folding her wings back, Soladat dived down towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, which was currently ocean-bound. Moments before hitting the surface, she unfolded her wings and landed softly, just a few feet outside of a door. She folded her wings back all the way and touched a panel next to the door, which slid open, and closed the moment she passed through.

Navigating her way to the bridge, she found Fury standing at the main helm as usual, surrounded by all those computer monitors. How he was able to keep track of all of them so easily was a total mystery. As soon as she entered the room, he turned to see her enter.

"I came as soon as you called." Soladat said. "What's the situation?"

"We've entered a level seven crisis, Agent Wrekk." Fury said. "Until phase two is ready, we're gathering the necessary response team."

"The Avengers Initiative?" Soladat said, wide eyed. Fury nodded. "I thought that idea was scrapped?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Archangel." Fury responded. "I've already sent Agent Coulson to relay the situation to Stark and Lewis. Hopefully they'll actually have the balls to help us here."

He then handed Soladat a file, which she took. "I'll be going after Rogers, and I need you to accompany Romanoff to Calcutta to locate Banner."

Soladat blinked. "Banner?"

Fury quickly explained. "We need him for his scientific expertise, not his condition. Romanoff is already en route via quinjet. I assume you can find your own way?"

Soladat smirked. "Don't I always?"

As she turned and left, Fury muttered under his breath. "That's what I was afraid she'd say…"

ooooo

In the kitchen of their laboratory, Darcy danced to the music of her iPod as she was making breakfast. She was currently clad in a pink sleeveless top, night shorts, and slippers, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. While Dr. Selvig was off doing personal business for S.H.I.E.L.D., Darcy and Jane were left to finish the research by themselves. It had been a difficult year without Erik, considering he was the most experienced astrophysicist. Fortunately, with the new S.H.I.E.L.D. equipment and Darcy's special talents, their work was going along smoothly, albeit slowly.

"_Oh, you're a real tuff cookie with a long history, for breaking little hearts like the one in me!_" Darcy sang while stirring the eggs and beating the spoon against the countertop like a drum. "_That's okay, let's see how you do it. Put up your duce, and let's get down to it!_"

Jane suddenly strode into the room, looking very anxious. "Hey, Darcy I need…"

She stopped when she saw what Darcy was doing, and rose an eyebrow. "Darcy?"

"_Hit me with your best shot!_" Darcy sang, completely oblivious to the other person in the room. "_Why don't you hit me with your best shot!_"

"Darcy?"

"_Hit me with your best shot!_"

"Darcy…" Jane started to look irritated.

"_Fire away-hay!_"

Jane marched up to Darcy, took out one of the earphones, and screamed right into Darcy's ear. "DARCY!"

Darcy screamed and jumped back, dropping the spoon. She leaned against the counter, breathing heavily. She glared at Jane. "Jane, what the hell?

Jane just rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't know you were doing something so important."

"I was!" Darcy argued. "I was making breakfast."

"Sure." Jane said, and walked towards the kitchen table. Darcy turned off her iPod and walked over to her.

"So did you need something, or what?"

Jane looked back. "As a matter of fact, I did. Something is seriously wrong here, Darcy. We haven't seen or heard from Erik in over a month! He usually calls us every few days. I feel like something bad has happened."

Darcy just shrugged. "He's working with a secret government organization, Jane. You sorta have to expect something like that."

But Jane just shook her head. "No, this is different Darcy. I just know something is up."

"I'm sure he's fine, Jane." Darcy assured. "Sides, if he does get into any deep shit, I'll be there to help, right?"

Jane just rolled her eyes. Hearing a beep coming from the kitchen, Darcy went back over to the counter where she opened a waffle maker, and placed the last waffle on a plate that was currently stacked with them. Picking up the plate, she walzed back over to Jane, presenting the dish.

"If it'll make you feel any better, I whipped up some waffles."

Jane just smiled and shook her head. "That's very nice of you, Darcy, but I'll pass."

Darcy frowned. "Seriously? Not one?"

Jane shook her head again. "No thanks."

"Come on, just one waffle!"

Jane frowned. "I don't want any waffles."

"How can you not want any waffles?" Darcy asked incredulously. "Everyone likes waffles."

"I'm not saying I hate waffles," Jane said. "I just don't want any right now."

But Darcy just pushed the plate closer to her face, and Jane reared her head back, looking annoyed.

Darcy just gave her an innocent smile. "Come on, just a bite?"

"No." Jane snapped. "Now get it out of my face."

"It's not in your face, it's in my hand." Darcy corrected.

"Get what's in your hand out of my face!"

Darcy pulled the plate back. "Seriously? Not one?"

"For the last time no!"

"You won't be sorry."

"Darcy!"

"Jaaaane!"

Jane was about ready to throttle her friend, when the phone suddenly started ringing. Silently thanking god, Jane got up from her seat, moved past Darcy and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Seriously, just have one waffle!" Darcy urged.

"Stop it!" Jane snapped, and then turned away and spoke back into the phone. "Hello, this is Jane Foster. To who am I speaking with?"

"Ms. Foster," A familiar voice responded. "This is Agent Coulson."

Jane blinked, then frowned. "What do you want?"

"I need to speak with Ms. Lewis." Coulson said. "It's urgent."

Jane turned towards Darcy, who was currently stuffing her face with waffles. She looked up as Jane held out the phone. "It's for you."

Raising an eyebrow, Darcy put down her fork and took the phone from Jane. She spoke, still having waffle bits stuffed in her mouth. "Yullo?"

"Ms. Lewis, this is Agent Coulson." Darcy instantly swallowed her food, and regained her composure.

"Oh, hey. Haven't heard from you in a while." Darcy said. "How is Erik doing?"

She heard Coulson sigh on the other end. "He's been better."

Darcy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Ms. Lewis, we're facing a potential global crisis." Coulson said. "The Avengers Initiative is being called into effect. We need you to report in."

Darcy went wide-eyed. "Sounds big… What kind of crisis are we talking about?"

Coulson was silent for a few moments, but he eventually spoke. "Ms. Lewis, are you familiar with a man called Loki?"

Darcy immediately stood up, and Jane blinked. Her goofiness thrown aside, Darcy looked dead serious. "Tell me everything."

ooooo

In Calcutta, India, Soladat stood atop her perch, her hood over her head as she aimed her rifle at the small house she and Romanoff set up shop in. Currently, Romanoff was waiting inside for Banner, who was hopefully being led here by their paid decoy. After waiting a few minutes, Soladat saw Banner, whom she recognized after briefly seeing him in New York one year ago, being rushed inside by a little girl.

She picked up her walkie-talkie. "That target has been spotted."

"Copy that." Romanoff responded.

She saw Banner and the girl enter the house, and then the girl exited through a back window. That was when Natasha emerged from a back room and started conversing with Banner. Soladat of course couldn't make out what was being said, but she had her gun raised just in case. She started to grow bored as their conversation dragged on, and it seemed as though Banner was cooperating.

Suddenly, Banner shouted something and slammed his hands down on a table. Natasha sprang up from her seat and pointed her pistol at Banner, and Soladat repositioned her sniper, aimed directly for Banner's head.

She waited a few moments, and saw Banner and Natasha exchange a few words, before calming down. Natasha lowered her pistol, and took out her walkie-talkie and called Soladat.

"Stand down. We're good here."

Soladat lowered her rifle, and then flew down towards the house. She entered through the back door, and Banner turned to look at her. He blinked, and then looked back and Natasha.

"Just you and me?"

Natasha just smirked, while Soladat just rolled her eyes.

ooooo

Fury was in a dark room, surrounded by numerous monitors. The World Security Council just couldn't give him a break. He wasn't in the mood for any more of their lectures.

"This is out of line, Director. You're dealing with forces you can't control." The Caucasian man in the center screen said.

"You ever been in a war, councilman?" Fury asked. "In a firefight? Did you feel an overabundance of control?"

The councilman blinked. "Are you saying that this Asgard has declared war on our planet?"

Fury shook his head. "Not Asgard. Just Loki. As far as we know, Asgard is still on good terms with us."

"How can you be so sure?" The British councilwoman piped in. "He can't be working alone, and the Asgardians can't be that tolerant of us after we killed their prince."

"What Ms. Lewis did was unintentional, and she even settled a dispute between the Asgards and another race that, if they hadn't been dealt with, would have besieged our planet." Fury argued. "But we can't rely on their help here. It's up to us."

"Which is why you should be focusing on phase two." Another councilman on the left said. "It was designed specifically for…"

"Phase two isn't ready yet." Fury interrupted. "But our enemy is. We need a response team."

"The Avengers Initiative was shut down." The head councilman said.

"This isn't about the Avengers." Fury said.

"We've gone over the list." The councilman said. "We're running the world's greatest covert security network and you're gonna leave the fate of human race to a handful of freaks."

Fury glared. "I'm not leaving anything to anyone. We need a response team. These people may be isolated, unbalanced even, but I believe with the right push they can be exactly what we need."

The British councilwoman raised an eyebrow. "_You_ believe?"

"This war isn't won by sentiment, director." Another councilman said.

"No," Fury corrected. "It's won by soldiers."

With that, Fury cut the call, and the screens went dark. He turned around, and saw Xegh Hikesh standing in the doorway, his arms crossed.

"How long have you been standing there?" Fury asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Long enough." Hikesh said and then unfolded his arms. "What if they are right? How can you be sure that this plan of yours will succeed? I have studied the dossiers on each and every one of these… Avengers. There is no guarantee that they will cooperate."

Fury breathed. "We'll just have to hope and pray that they will."

ooooo

Carrie sat back in the quinjet, which was flying her and Agent Coulson to New York to inform Tony Stark of the crisis. Carrie had been told of the entire dilemma by Coulson, and found herself completely dumbstruck. Apparantly, an extraterrestrial being that was worshipped as a god by the ancient Norwegian cultures had stolen something of vital importance, and was using it to threaten the planet. If Momma were still around, she would interpret this entire ordeal as being orchestrated by the Devil, and then start recounting a phrase from the Bible.

Carrie breathed in. _Momma…_

Shaking her head, Carrie focused back on the main issue. S.H.I.E.L.D. had listed Carrie as a potential recruit for this Avengers Initiative, where people like her were gathered to deal with threats. Unfortunately, Carrie had no experience in that area, and didn't really like the idea of becoming a super hero or using her powers again. Still, Coulson had brought her along so she could meet other potential recruits.

Carrie shifted around in her seat, folding her arms. She had changed a lot since Agents Sitwell and Tremel rescued her from Chamberlain three years ago. Her hair was no cut shoulder-length, and she had recently started paying more attention to her appearance. She wasn't going to let herself go like she did while living with momma. Her wardrobe had also changed. She was currently wearing jeans and a white long-sleaved shirt with gray stripes. There was a brown leather jacket covering it up, and a yellow scarf wrapped around her neck, courtesy of Agent Tremel, the woman who Carrie had come to consider her closest friend.

While en route to Stark Tower, Carrie read a dossier on Stark that was given to her by Coulson. As he read, Carrie grew more and more fascinated with Stark. He was obviously a genius, having created his Mark I suit and arc reactor in a cave with equipment barely any better than what could be found in a high school shop room. However, the man also seemed to have a ridiculous amount of personality flaws, and a tendency to get drunk while wearing the suit.

Arriving in New York, Agent Coulson and Carrie made their way to Stark Tower. Coulson flashing his badge at the security checkpoints got them in Stark's personal elevator to the top floor, and as they rode to the top, Coulson called him with his cellphone. After several failed attempts and some clever hacking on Coulson's part, he finally picked up.

"Stark, we need to talk."

"You have reached the life-model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message." The voice of the man Carrie assumed was Tony Stark responded.

"This is urgent." Coulson said with a frown.

"Then leave it urgently."

At that point, the elevator doors opened, and Coulson and Carrie stepped out into what looked like a mix between a bar and a living room. Stark and a red-haired woman seated at a small table with champagne. Stark stood up.

"Security breach!" He then noticed Carrie. "And no children allowed!"

Carrie frowned.

The woman stood up, smiling warmly. "Phil, come in. And who's this?"

"Phil?" Tony said, confused. "Umm, his first name is agent."

Coulson gave the woman a smile. "This is Carrie, our newest initiate. But we can't stay long."

The woman redirected her smile to Carrie, shaking her hand. "Hello, Carrie, I'm Pepper. Please, come in, we're celebrating."

Tony strode up, giving a tight smile. "Which is why they can't stay."

Unmoved, Coulson held out the file that he had been carrying. "We need you to look this over."

Stark gave him a look and made no move to take the file.

"I don't like to be handed things." He stated a matter of fact.

"That's alright, cause I love to be handed things. So, let's trade." Pepper cut in, handing her champagne glass to Coulson and taking the file, and then handing the file to Tony while snatching his glass. Tony gave her a look that said _what the hell?_

Carrie held in a laugh, impressed with how good this woman was at handling Stark.

"You know, my consulting hours are between eight and five every Thursday…" Stark began, still trying to get out of doing any work with the file.

Carrie spoke for the first time. "This isn't a consultation."

"Is this about the Avengers?" Pepper asked. Coulson gave her a look, to which she quickly added, "Which I know nothing about."

Stark walked towards a computer terminal that was made of the most advanced tech Carrie ever saw. He hooked the file up to the machine. "I thought I didn't even qualify. Apparently I'm volatile; self-obsessed; don't play well with others…"

Pepper looked back and her and Coulson, smirking. "That I did know."

"This isn't about personality profiles anymore." Coulson said.

"Whatever. Miss Potts, got a minute?" Stark called. Pepper gave Carrie and Coulson the one-moment sign and walked over to Stark. The two argued silently for a few moments, until Stark sent the contents of the file onto holographic computer screens. Carrie saw videos of the other initiates in action, as well as some footage of herself in Chamberlain. Her eyes widened. She didn't realize they had footage of her. She shrunk back when Stark and Pepper looked back at her surprised.

Pepper and Tony continued to argue, until Pepper left Stark and walked back up to Coulson and Carrie, smiling.

"So any chance you're driving by LaGuardia?"

"We can drop you." Coulson said, returning the smile. As they left the room, Pepper and Coulson chatting like old friends, Carrie turned to see Stark examining a holographic model of some kind of three-dimensional cube.

ooooo

Elsewhere, in the deepest bowels of eternity, a blonde woman clad in a dark purple long-sleaved unitard and cape sat on a rocky platform in a realm filled with fire and brimstone. Beneath her, demonic creatures prowled about, growling, snarling and cackling. Before her was kneeling down before an imposing figure. It looked like a man, except his skin was read and his face was long like a horse's. His hair was black and greasy and spiked, and his eyes were an inhuman orange. He had jagged teeth, and claws where his fingernails should have been. His body concealed in a black robe, he addressed the woman before him with a low, inhuman voice.

"_**Things are going just as I had predicted, Claire Voyant. The time has come for us to act.**_"

Her head lowered, Voyant spoke back. "What must I do?"

"_**You must go to the mortal plain and seek out the ones called the Avengers. I don't want their souls. Not yet. For now I want you to observe them, study them, but do not eclipse their movements…**_" The creature's eyes narrowed into slits. "_**or **_**I**_** shall eclipse yours.**_"

Closing her eyes for a few moments, Claire nodded. "As you command, Lord Mephisto."

Mephisto smiled, and it was a truly frightening sight to behold. "_**Good. Now leave me, my Angel of Death. You shall depart with my highest faith endowed upon you.**_"

Claire stood up, and faced her master. "I will leave at once, my lord."

She turned away from him, her cape flowing slightly, and marched away. Mephisto smiled as he watched his most trusted servant vanish among the flames.

**And that was chapter eleven. Now the reason I didn't show the scene with Fury meeting Captain America is because that scene was unchanged in this universe. And yes, Mephisto is in this. For those of you who don't know him, he's the Marvel Universe's version of the Devil. Next chapter, the characters all finally come together. Review pleaz.**


	12. Phase One: Quinjets, Cards, Helicarriers

**Chapter 12 – Cards, Quinjets, and Helicarriers**

Steve Rogers observed the young girl sitting across from him. Her… casual appearance contrasted greatly with the other S.H.I.E.L.D. related figures that he had encountered in the few weeks he had been awake. While he still knew little of the modern world that he was trapped in, he knew that by modern day standards, this girl appeared completely normal. But what really confused the captain was how young the girl looked. She looked no older than fifteen.

With what they were all apparently getting into, the captain couldn't help but feel worried for this young lady.

Catching his stare, Carrie put on a nervous smile. "Hi."

Returning the smile, Steve nodded his head. "Hello. I'm…"

"Steve Rogers. I know. I read your dossier." The girl said. "I'm Carrie White."

Steve blinked. She read his dossier? But that would imply that she would be involved with the Avengers Initiative. He had initially assumed that she was the daughter of one of the agents.

"So, Carrie, what brings you to S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Steve asked with interest. He was hoping that she was an intern, or something that wasn't too dangerous. Carrie looked down nervously.

"I'm an initiate… for the Avengers Initiative."

Looking shocked, Steve looked over the girl again. He found absolutely nothing special about the girl. She looked small, innocent, and fragile. Not someone who should be associated with S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Er, pardon me for asking, but how old are you?" Steve asked.

"I'm actually seventeen. I'll be turning eighteen in a few months." Carrie answered honestly.

At that moment, Steve's concern for Carrie increased. He had thought that S.H.I.E.L.D. was smart, yet here they were recruiting a seventeen year old kid to be in one of the agency's most elite teams.

After a few moments of gaping, Steve asked Carrie the question.

"Why?"

Carrie raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"

"Why would they let you into the initiative?" Steve said. "I mean no offense or anything, but you don't really look like… well… you know."

The blonde teen gave a small smile. "It's okay. I'm not entirely thrilled about it either. Luckily I'm just an initiate, so for now I'm going to observe."

Steve shook his head, still speechless at the thought of such a young person having such a dangerous job. "What can you do?"

Sighing, Carrie decided she may as well give the super soldier a demonstration. Looking around, she spotted Agent Coulson's bag. Searching through it with her mind, she felt around and eventually located the familiar dossier.

Steve blinked at the sound of something unzipping and looked over in shock to see that Coulson's bag was opening on its own. Then, a file floated out, levitated above Steve for a few moments, before dropping down on his lap. He looked up at Carrie in shock, and she just smiled.

"Read it."

Steve studied the futuristic piece of technology, and eventually activated it.

The name "Carrie White" was displayed on the screen, and the tab proceeded to list off the girl's dossier. As he read the information on the screen and watched the videos, Steve looked even more stupefied. Sure, Fury had mentioned the existence of aliens in this time, but he never said anything about psychics.

"You're telekinetic?" he asked, looking up at Carrie.

"Yeah." Carrie said.

Steve read over more of the file, and his eyes grew even wider when he read about Chamberlain. He saw videos depicting scenes of destruction and buildings on fire. He looked at Carrie, and then back at the video. How could someone so young cause so much damage?

Carrie grimaced when she saw Steve's expression and started to explain herself. "I had a difficult home life. My momma was a little out there, and my classmates didn't give a care about me. It became too much for me, and I…" Carrie took a deep breath. "I snapped."

Blinking, Steve read some more and read over the incident at the prom. His eyes widened in shock. Pig blood? What kind of sick joke was that? He looked back at Carrie.

"One of your peers did that to you?" Steve asked, shocked and somewhat furious that a person could be that cruel towards others.

Carrie looked sad now, rubbing her arms as if she were cold. "They thought I was weird cuz of how my momma raised me to be. Don't get me wrong, I loved my momma and I do believe in God, but she took it all way to extremely. Everything was a sin in her eyes."

Steve kept quiet for a few more minutes, thinking. Then, realization dawned on him. Slowly, he asked, "Your mother was a religious fanatic, right?"

Carrie looked at him with guarded eyes. "Yes."

Steve continued, "And she believed anything unnatural was a sin, right?"

"Yes."

"Your mother… how did she react when she discovered your powers?" Steve asked, afraid of what the girl's answer would be.

Carrie's face went blank, and she didn't answer. She just looked away from Steve and out the window. Steve closed his eyes and breathed. He felt terribly sorry for this girl. She spent her entire life being bullied and tormented by her peers and even her own mother. Nobody deserved that. In truth, he felt some kinship with the girl. He knew what it was like to be bullied.

Choosing to leave the girl alone for now, Steve took Coulson's bag and looked at more of the dossiers. The first one he took out was that of Dr. Bruce Banner. He read it over, and found himself intrigued by the connections between him and Banner. At that moment, Coulson climbed back from the passenger's seat up front to see how the two passengers were dealing.

Steve looked up at Coulson. "So this Dr. Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?"

"A lot of people were." Coulson responded, and then smiled with admiration. "You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

Steve looked back at the dossier and played a video of the Hulk tearing apart Culver University. He smiled sheepishly. "Didn't really go his way, did it."

"Not so much." Coulson chuckled, shaking his head. "When he's not that… thing, the man's like a Steven Hawking."

Steve looked up at Coulson confused. Coulson silently cursed, remembering how out of place the captain was right now. Fortunately, Carrie piped in, not even looking in their direction.

"He's like a really smart person."

Coulson gave Carrie a smile of gratitude, and then turned back to Steve. He folded his hands, taking in a deep breath. "I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially. I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping."

Steve gave a raised eyebrow, while Carrie tried her best not to laugh at the awkwardness. Realizing his mistake, Coulson sputtered. "I mean, I was...I was present while you were unconscious from the ice."

Looking a little uncomfortable, Steve got up and walked towards the front of the jet, resting his arm against the top while he surveyed the ocean below. Coulson kept speaking, trying to give a good impression to his hero.

"You know, it's really, it's just a...just a huge honor to have you on board." He said.

Looking out the window, Steve muttered, "Well I hope I'm the right man for the job."

"Oh, you are." Coulson assured. "We've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design imput, myself."

Steve blinked, looking confused. "The uniform?"

Coulson nodded, smiling. Steve continued. "Aren't the stars and stripes a little... er… old fashioned?"

Coulson sighed, and then looked out the window. "With everything that's happened, the things that are about to come to light…"

He looked up at Steve in hope. "People might just need a little old fashioned."

ooooo

In a deep underground area, people were bustling around, trying to get some important, and nefarious, work done. It's not like any of them knew what they were doing. They were being controlled, like puppets.

And a certain mischief god was the one pulling the strings.

Loki watched as his mindless servants did their work. Soon the device would be ready, and he would begin his glorious crusade against the pathetic mortals.

Suddenly, the scepter's gem started to glow, and Loki grimaced. Closing his eyes, he surrendered his mind to the mental call from the great weapon. He felt his mind being pulled into the astral plain, and once it stopped, he opened his eyes. He was standing on a rocky surface… in the realm of the Chitauri.

Feeling a psychic presence nearby, Loki turned and saw the Other, the master's intermediary. The Other was a cloaked figure, whose eyes were concealed by his hood. His face was gray and wrinkly, and his teeth were horribly jagged and dirty. He had six fingers on each of his hands.

"The Chitauri grow restless." The Other hissed at Loki. Loki didn't need to ask to know that this creature held a strong amount of distaste for him.

"Let them grow restless." Loki responded. "I will lead them in the glorious battle."

"Battle?" The Other scoffed. "Against the meager might of Earth?"

"Glorious, not lengthy." Loki assured. He then gave the Other a look of weariness. "That is if your force is as formidable as you claim."

"You question us? Question _him_?" The Other hissed, loudly, motioning upwards to a pedestal where a dark figure sat upon a throne, gazing out into the endless plethora of stars. "_He _who put the scepter in your hands? Who gave you ancient knowledge and a new purpose? When you were cast out? Defeated?"

Loki glared daggers at the creature. "I was a king! The rightful king of Asgard! Betrayed, exiled."

"That's not how I heard it." The Other growled, flashing his hideous teeth with a hideous smile.

He slowly strode up to Loki, smiling at him. "I heard… that you, the great prince of Asgard, were raped of your greatness. By a simple human girl, who bested you. Both in strength…" The Other smiled. "and in soul."

Loki's face screwed up in anger. The Other took notice. "Did I strike a nerve, Asgardian? Could it be that as you stood before her during that final dispute that you wished to… _fuck_ her?"

"Enough!" Loki snarled, and his eyes briefly flashed from green to red. The Other stepped back, but his smirk remained. Loki regained his composure, but continued to glare menacingly at the Other. "I do not make threats. But until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words."

The Other slowly approached Loki again, moving around him menacingly. "You will have your war, Asgardian. But know this."

The Other came up directly behind Loki, hissing in his ear. "If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us… there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevasse where _he_ can't find you."

Loki took a glance up at the throne, and felt the evil emanating from the great being. He shuddered. The Other gripped his shoulder, hissing. "You think you no pain? He will make you beg for something as sweet as pain!"

The Other put his hand on Loki's face, and Loki felt a brief flash of pain as he was suddenly forced out of the astral plain. Breathing heavily, he looked around to find himself back on Earth, in the underground facility. He looked at the scepter apprehensively, and then stood upright. His face was pasted with fury and determination.

He would not fail. They would all fall before him.

ooooo

Coulson, Steve, and Carrie stepped off of the jet as it landed on the helicarrier, which was still waterbound. As they stepped off, they were greeted by two familiar faces.

"Agent Romanoff, Agent Wrekk." Coulson nodded at the two women. Steve blinked at them. One of them, a pale woman with green eyes and shoulder length red hair, looked completely normal in jeans, a red shirt, and brown leather jacket. But the other one, a girl with gray eyes, ivory skin, and long, brown, curly hair, was dressed in a uniform that looked like something out of a fairy tale. It was a dark brown hooded tunic with a few patches of red, and had some hawk-like characteristics. The scalloped armor on the gauntlets looked to be in the fashion of talons, along with the spurs on the boots. The belt buckles adorning the chest piece looked like hawk skulls and beaks. She wore long red gloves that had armor plated wrist wraps that looked like they had seen a lot of combat. The fingers were sharp and talon like. She wore grieves that had similar plating, but they were ridged and edgy around the ends. On each shoulder there was a metal shoulder plate. But the most noticeable thing was the pair of metal, angel-like wings coming out of her back.

"Hi, Phil." The girl, Agent Wrekk, greeted. Agent Romanoff nodded at them. Coulson motioned a hand towards Steve and Carrie.

"Ladies, this is Captain Rogers and Ms. Carrie White."

"Hi." Romanoff said plainly, clearly unimpressed.

Soladat, however, greeted them more warmly. "Nice to meet you both. Hope you two are ready for this."

Carrie just smiled nervously, while Steve shook the girl's hand. Then he looked her over. "Do you always dress like this?"

Soladat smirked. "Only on duty."

"She uses it to express her eccentricities." Romanoff butted in, casually. Soladat just shrugged.

"I'm not into the skin tight jumpsuits. Rides up too much."

Rolling her eyes, Romanoff turned to Coulson. "They need you on the bridge. They're starting the face trace."

He nodded and walked off toward an entrance. "See you there."

Steve, Natasha, Soladat, and Carrie began walking together. Natasha spoke. " There was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

Steve looked confused. "Trading cards?"

Soladat jumped in, grinning. "They're vintage. He's very proud. Trust me, you'll hear about them soon enough, just like everyone else on the helicarrier."

They kept walking and saw a man in a brown jacket and pants and a purple buttoned shirt. He seemed lost, and was looking around everywhere trying to figure out where to go. He looked out of place amongst the S.H.I.E.L.D. busily running around the carrier. From the pictures Carrie had seen, she figured it was Dr. Banner.

Most people seemed scared of the doctor, due to his condition. Soladat, however, was not afraid of him. After briefly encountering the Hulk in New York, she believed that the monster had a little bit of humanity somewhere deep in its enraged heart.

Smiling, she waved. "Dr. Banner! Hi."

Bruce turned to look at the four coming his way. He looked confused by the presence of the young blonde girl accompanying the other three, but greeted them anyway, albeit nervously. "Hi."

Steve greeted the doctor as well. "Word is you can find the cube."

Bruce looked around, nervous, and whispered, "Is that, eh… the _only_ word on me?"

"It's the only word I care about," Steve said sincerely. Bruce smiled with gratitude. Before anymore words could be exchanged, something fell out of the sky and landed with a loud thud a few meters away from the four. They all turned towards the object with wide and confused eyes, and saw that it was a blonde woman with piercing blue eyes holding a hammer and dressed in a strange… armor.

The woman stood up, twirling the hammer around, smirking. "Hey."

Soladat smirked. "Darcy Lewis. I had a feeling Fury would call you in, too."

Bruce, Steve, and Carrie looked in shock. Steve whispered over to Bruce. "Looks like I owe Fury ten bucks."

Darcy looked over to Steve, and her eyes widened and she gave him a smile. She walked up to him and shook his hand. "Hey, you're Captain America, right?"

Steve smiled slightly, amused by this girl's behavior. "Yes…"

"Cool!" Darcy said ecstatically. "So then you're a superhero, then. That's great! I'm a superhero too!"

"That's… very nice." Steve said. Carrie and Bruce chuckled slightly, amused. Natasha, who had been silent most of the time, came up, looking at Darcy suspiciously.

"How did you manage to find us on your own?"

Darcy just shrugged. "Coulson just said to find the aircraft carrier with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on it. Wasn't hard really."

"Excuse me," Soladat suddenly spoke up, "but you guys might want to step inside in a minute. It's going to get a little hard to breathe."

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked, confused.

"Really? They want me in a submerged pressurized metal container?" Bruce asked dryly.

Bruce, Steve, Darcy, and Carrie wandered over to the edge of the boat, and looked surprised as the water started to churn and whip around violently. Suddenly, the boat started to ascend, and the four watched as four enormous propellors surfaced from the water and began to spit. Then, the Helicarrier began to lift itself out of the ocean.

"Okay, now _this_ is awesome." Darcy said, smiling.

Bruce grinned to himself. "Oh no, this is much worse."

ooooo

On the bridge of the Helicarrier, Fury saw Black Widow and Archangel leading Captain America, Thordis, Bruce Banner, and Carrie White into the room. They all looked around in amazement at the many computers and agents bustling about. Upon seeing Fury, Steve nodded.

"Fury."

"Captain." Fury greeted back, and then smirked when Steve handed him ten bucks. He turned towards Bruce. "Doctor, thank you for coming."

"Thanks for asking so nicely." Bruce said sarcastically. "So, uh… how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear." Fury promised the nervous doctor. Bruce gave him a look.

"And uh… how are you with that?"

Fury pointed to Agent Coulson, who the others didn't even notice until now. Coulson explained the situation. "We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."

Soladat shook her head in uncertainty. "That's still not gonna find them in time."

Tapping his chin in thought, Bruce spoke. "You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?"

Fury raised an eyebrow. "How many are there?"

"Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition." Bruce gave Fury a smile. "At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

Smiling, Fury motioned towards Natasha. "Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please?"

Natasha nodded and then led Bruce out of the bridge and into the hall. "You're gonna love it, doc. It's got all the toys."

Fury watched them leave, when he suddenly felt someone tapping his shoulder. He looked over to see Darcy standing there. "Uh, hey."

Fury nodded. "Ms. Lewis."

"Yeah, it's nice to finally meet you." Darcy nodded. "Any word on Loki yet?"

Fury shook his head. "Not yet. But we will."

Darcy nodded. "Good. This guy isn't someone you want to mess with."

"Is there anything else you can tell us about this guy."

Darcy stopped, and then turned back to Fury. "I might…"

While Fury and Darcy were chatting, Soladat and Darcy were left standing in the background. Looking over at the girl, Soladat smirked.

"Some day, huh?"

Carrie blinked and looked over at the agent, shrugging. "I guess."

Soladat snorted. "You guess? Are you saying every morning is like this?"

Carrie frowned. "Okay, fine. So this is a little much for me. It's not like my life is normal or anything."

Soladat felt guilty, remembering the girl's past. "Right… sorry. So, uh… what do you think of all this?"

Carrie sighed. "I don't know. In retrospect, I can't say I'm too excited about this. I'm not a superhero."

Soladat chuckled. "Neither am I, really. I'm just an assassin."

"That's different." Carrie said. "Assassins have reason to kill. I mindlessly slaughtered hundreds of people in just one night!"

Soladat sighed. "You were confused and scared. It's not like you really knew what you were doing right?"

Carrie just shook her head. Soladat continued. "Look, think of this as a second chance. If not a hero, then at least try to lend a hand when necessary, okay?"

Carrie thought it over, and sighed. "Okay."

ooooo

Bruce followed Natasha into the lab, and his eyes nearly bulged out of his skull when he saw some kind of… thing standing in there. The creature nodded in their direction.

"Agent Romanoff." It spoke. Natasha nodded back.

"Hikesh." She turned back towards Bruce. "Doctor, this is Xegh Hikesh, our extra-planetary liaison. He'll be working as your assistant in this operation."

Hikesh, following human customs, put his hand out in greeting. "It is good to make you acquaintance, Bruce Banner. I've heard good stories of your scientific achievements."

Bruce just stood gaping at the Prothean. Hikesh blinked in confusion, and then looked at Romanoff. "I am confused. I had thought the shaking of hands was normal in human greatings?"

Natasha shook her head. "It is. He's just… surprised."

Hikesh blinked in confusion once again, and then his eyes flashed in realization. "Ah, I see."

He looked back at Banner. "I am sorry if my appearance as startled you."

Bruce just shook his head. "No, it's eh… it's fine. Fury just didn't tell me we had an actual… alien on the team."

"There's a lot Fury neglects to share with us." Natasha clarified, and then turned to leave. "You two have fun."

Bruce and Hikesh watched the Widow leave, and then looked back at each other. Bruce breathed awkwardly. "So… you're a real live alien?"

Hikesh cocked his head to the side. "As opposed to a fake dead one?"

Bruce blinked. This was going to be an interesting day…

ooooo

Back on the bridge, Darcy, Soladat, Carrie, and Fury all listened in amusement as Coulson told Steve about his collection. Steve just listened with discomfort.

"I mean, if it's not too much trouble…" Coulson said, but Steve shook his head quickly.

"No, no. It's fine."

They stood silent for a few moments, and Coulson turned back towards Steve. "t's a vintage set. It took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint, slight foxing around the edges, but..."

"We got a hit!" A man, Agent Sitwell, spoke up. Everyone turned towards him. "Sixty seven percent match. Weight, cross match, seventy nine percent."

Darcy herself came up behind him and looked at the screen. Her heard skipped a beat when she saw the man in the picture. "It's him."

Sitwell looked at her, then back to the screen. Coulson came up, asking for the location.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding." Sitwell explained. Fury looked over at Steve.

"Captain." Steve looked over at Fury. "Your up."

Nodding, Steve quickly left the bridge to suit up. Darcy stood up and looked at Fury intently. "I'm going, too."

Fury looked at her, unsure. But she quickly explained herself. "I'm the only one whose ever gone up against this guy. You're gonna need me."

Fury thought it over, and then nodded. Darcy nodded back and quickly followed Steve.

**Chapter twelve, done. Chapter thirteen, will be posted sometime tomorrow. In that chapter, Thordis and Captain America confront Loki in Stuttgart. Then, someone else who isn't Iron Man shows up and things take an interesting turn. Review pleaz.**


	13. Phase One: Gods and Galas

**Chapter 13 – Gods and Galas**

The gala was packed with socialites, rich folk, and people who just wanted to party. People were dancing and socializing with each other, just enjoying the music and atmosphere. However, some people present weren't entirely human.

A single woman sat alone at a table, sipping wine. She was wearing a dark purple dress and a similarly colored sun hat that concealed her face. Blonde hair stuck out from beneath it. Her legs crossed, she merely observed the gala with minimal interest. Her main interest was due to arrive in this exact place in time in mere minutes. At that, she smirked.

However, that smirk soon turned into a frown when one of the party-guests, a middle aged man with a balding head and fuzzy moustache, strode up to her, grinning.

"Excuse me?" He said with a thick German accent, but got no answer. "Excuse me, miss?"

That was when the woman looked up, revealing her face to the man. She had black lips, and dark, soulless eyes, but other than that she looked absolutely breathtaking. Her skin was perfectly smooth and clear, and her beautiful blonde hair glistened in the light. She gave the man a false smile.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

The man straightened his tie. "Well, I just noticed you sitting here all by yourself, just thought I'd say hello. Did you come here alone?"

"Yes. Just came to enjoy the music is all." The woman said, taking another sip of her glass.

"Well," The man said, sitting down next to her, not even seeming to notice the scowl she was giving him. "a pretty woman like yourself shouldn't be here all alone. My name is Deiter Zetsche, by the way."

The man continued to give the woman a smile, but she just continued to watch the people dance, her eyes devoid of expression. Deiter gave an awkward hum. "So… what's your name?"

"Claire." The woman said plainly.

"Oh. That's a nice name." The man said with a smile. "So, I run my own business, you know? Daimler AG. Cars and automobiles."

Then, Claire's face contorted into a sinister smile, and she put on a believable façade and batted her eyelashes at the man. "Really? That's actually quite interesting. Tell me more."

The man blinked, surprised at the apparent success, and smiled. He continued to speak for a few more minutes, and Claire just listened intently. Then, sometime later, she leaned in close to him.

"You know, you're a very sweet man." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "What do you say we find ourselves someplace private?"

The man blinked and his face went red. He nodded. "S-Sure. Why not?"

Unnoticed by the other party guests, Claire led the man away from the room and into one of the restrooms in the back of the building.

ooooo

By the time the two entered the room, they were already going at it pretty fast, although Claire seemed to be the dominant at this point. She forced her tongue into his mouth, and he just moaned with both excitement and pleasure. Claire ripped his coat off and forced him down on the toilet, and started assaulting his neck with kisses and nibbles.

"I-I've never met a girl like you before." Deiter panted. Claire backed up and gazed at him hungrily.

"And I'm the best you're ever gonna meet." She brought his face to hers and continued to kiss him ferociously. Her hands gripped the sleeves of his white buttoned shirt and actually tore through the fabric. The man yelped and tried to pull away.

"Wait! We can't do this here! There are dozens of people here."

Claire pulled away, giving the man a scary looking smile. It was then that Deiter actually saw the sinister intent in the woman's eyes.

He immediately tried to scramble away from her, but she held him still with strength she didn't even appear to possess.

"What's the rush?" She hissed in his ear, and he shuddered. Then, she pulled her hand back, and swiped it across his face. Her sharp nails left a deep scratch mark on his face. He just stared at her in shock for a few moments, before the scratch marks started to fester at an alarming rate and were soon pulsating with an inhuman infection. Deiter instantly gripped his face and started screaming in pain. He was able to scramble away from Claire and against the wall on the farthest end of the room.

He looked up and saw Claire approaching him slowly. He put his hand out. "You… you stay away from me!"

But she just kept advancing, her eyes now a horrifying pitch black. Then, she grabbed his throat and lifted him up against the wall. He shook with fear as she spoke with a dark, otherworldly voice totally unlike her own. "_**Eternity beckons for you, Deiter Zetsche. My servant wants you gone, and I want you here. So, tonight we both get what we want.**_"

Slowly, Claire brought her hand towards Deiter's forehead, and as soon as the tip of her finger made contact with his skin, there was a small burst of flame and Deiter let out a terrified shriek.

Only a moment later, everything was silent. Claire dropped Deiter, who had a strange Celtic symbol burned into his forehead. He slowly slid down to the ground. He still had an expression of horror on his face, but other than that, he was devoid of life. He was devoid of soul.

Claire gazed down at his body, breathing heavily and smiling wickedly. The essence of the dark evil that she had allowed to enter her body slowly faded away, and she quickly regained her composure. She picked up her hat, which she had discarded the moment she entered the room. Positioning it back on her head, she left the restroom, closing the door behind her.

ooooo

As Claire returned to the gala, she smiled as she saw everything already in chaos. People were fleeing from the building as a man with sleek black hair and a golden staff seized a man, who Claire recognized as the benefactor of this entire gathering, and had him pinned against a stone pedestal in the center of the room.

Claire watched as he took out a strange device and brought it down on the man's eye. There was a horribly churning sound as the unfortunate man started to convulse. The partygoers started screaming and fled from the building. The man, Loki, gave a sadistic smirk.

Unnoticed, Claire sunk into the shadows.

ooooo

As the partygoers fled out into the streets, Loki slowly exited after them. To the surprise of a few civilians, Loki's body flashed gold and the tuxedo he had been wearing was replaced by green robes with golden armor plating. He was also now wearing a helmet with two curved horns. The staff he had been holding transformed into his scepter. He glanced to the side as a police car slowly approached, and with a jerk from his scepter, an energy blast sent the car flying overhead.

Suddenly, several duplicates of Loki started to materialize around the frightened crowd, who all panicked in fear and confusion.

"Kneel before me!" Loki yelled over the crowd, and slammed his scepter against the ground. Everyone yelped when a blue flash emenated from his scepter as well as the scepters of his duplicates.

Loki marched towards them. "I said… KNEEL!"

Everyone suddenly became quiet, and slowly knelt down in fear. Loki smiled in satisfaction, and put his hands out. "Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?"

The people cowered in fear and he marched around them, looking down at them all with disgust. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled."

Loki stopped walking, and looked at them all with his arms out. "In the end, you will always kneel."

Then, an elderly man in the center of the crowd stood up, looking at Loki defiantly. Loki rose an eyebrow at the man.

"Not to men like you." The man spat.

Loki chuckled, shaking his head. "There are no men like me."

The man glared. "There are always men like you."

Chuckling, Loki lifted his scepter and pointed it towards the man.

"Look to your elder people." Loki said to the crowd. The gem started glowing, and Loki looked at the man with a sadistic smirk. "Let him be an example."

Just as Loki was about to execute the poor man, a man in a blue spangled uniform suddenly jumped in front of the blast and held out a shield. The blast was deflected off of the shield and hit Loki square in the chest, and he stumbled back, grunting.

The crowd looked on in shock as Captain America slowly stood up, and glared down the god of lies.

You know," Captain America spoke, "the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

Loki sneered. "The soldier. A man out of time. To come here alone, you are braver than I thought."

The captain smirked. "Who said I was alone?"

Loki frowned in confusion, and then grunted in pain as something very hard hit him in the back of the head and he fell down face first. He quickly got up and turned around, and his eyes seethed when he saw who was standing there.

Twirling Mjolnir around in her hand, Thordis waved innocently. "Hey, blue. Miss me?"

"You…" Loki hissed. "I had expected to see you during all this."

Darcy stopped twirling the hammer, and gripped in fiercely. "I warned you before to keep your fingers off my planet. It's a shame you didn't listen."

The hum of an engine suddenly filled Loki's ears, and he looked up to see a quinjet hovering overhead. A hatch on the bottom opened and a mini-gun was unloaded, and pointed in his direction.

"Loki," The voice of Black Widow spoke, "drop the weapon, and stand down."

Suddenly, Loki jerked the scepter forward and the quinjet quickly swerved away from the energy blast that was launched in its direction. The people immediately started to flee from the area. Thinking fast, Loki quickly avoided a swing from Darcy and swung the scepter at her, but she blocked the assault with her hammer and delivered a punch to his face. His face swung back from the strike, and he quickly delivered a kick then forced Darcy away from him.

He prepared to fire a blast at her, but a shield was suddenly hurled at him and struck him right in the face. Shaking his head, Loki looked over to see Captain America leaping at him, landing right in front of him. The captain delivered his own punch, but to the captain's surprise it didn't seem to have any effect. Loki swung the scepter down on him, but the captain blocked the strike with his shield. Swinging the other side up, Loki knocked the shield out of the captain hands and quickly delivered a blunt strike to the captain's gut, sending him flying back.

Glancing to the side, Loki saw Thordis getting up, and she hurled Mjolnir in his direction. Loki quickly batted the hammer away with his staff, but didn't have time to act as Thordis was already upon him. She swung her fist, but Loki ducked away and swung his scepter, which Thordis backed away. The blade of the scepter scratched Darcy's Asgardian armor. Loki prepared to attack again, but a kick send him stumbling forward and into Thordis' waiting fist. The punch sent him stumbling away, and he shook his head and saw both Thordis and Captain America slowly advancing on him.

Backing away, Loki dodged a strike from Captain America and strike his back with the scepter, sending him tumbling away face first into the ground. He quickly turned to Thordis, blocked a strike from her hammer and striking her across the face with the scepter's blunt end. While she was distracted, he jerked the scepter and sent her careening away with an energy blast. Turning away from Thordis, Loki marched over to Captain America, who was starting to get up.

The captain grunted as he was forced down by Loki's scepter.

"Kneel." Loki commanded. But Captain America swatted the scepter away, and leapt up.

"Not today." He said, and he swung his foot at Loki's face, sending him stumbling back. Thordis quickly reentered the fray, and as she and Captain America ganged up on Loki, the Black Widow observed the fight from the quinjet.

Shaking her head, Natasha muttered, "This guy's all over the place."

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke up through her com. "Agent Romanoff? You miss me?"

Natasha blinked in confusion as the quinjet's systems were suddenly overridden and the song _Shoot to Thrill _by AC/DC was played through every speaker system in the surrounding area. Natasha just sighed and shook her head.

Below, the combatants all blinked in confusion and looked up as Iron Man suddenly descended from the sky. Pointing his hands out, Iron Man fired his repulsor blasts at the god of lies, knocking him off of his feet.

Landing right in front of him, Iron Man unloaded all of his weaponry, threatening to fire it all at the Asgardian. "Make your move, reindeer games."

Loki watched as Captain America and Thordis flanked Iron Man on both sides, and the quinjet, it's gun still pointed towards him, hovered overhead. Slowly, Loki rasied his hands in surrender, and his helmet slowly faded away in a shimmer of gold.

Satisfied, Iron Man packed up all of his weapons. "Good move."

"Mr. Stark." Captain America greeted.

Iron Man nodded. "Captain."

He then nodded at Thordis. "Ms. Lewis."

Thordis nodded back. "Mr. Stark."

ooooo

Steve paced the jet, with Tony still in his Iron Man suit just looking at him annoyed. Up front, Agent Romanoff and the pilot stared out at the dark skies in silence. Darcy, her hammer hanging from her shoulder, looked away from Loki, who just sat motionless, seemingly subdued.

"I don't like it." Steve whispered to Stark.

Tony gave Steve a look. "What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

Steve shook his head, giving Loki a suspicious glance. "I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you were pretty spry." Tony seemingly complimented, and then smirked. "For an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"

Steve frowned at the inventor. "What?"

"It's like calisthenics." Tony explained. "You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle."

Steve's frown increased. "Fury never told me he was calling you in."

Tony scoffed. "Yeah. There's a lot Fury doesn't tell you."

While the two were chatting, Darcy slowly sat down next to Loki, who glanced at her briefly before looking away.

Making sure to keep her distance, Darcy breathed awkwardly. "So… How've you been?"

Loki didn't answer her. He didn't even look at her. Darcy kept talking. "It's been a while, right?"

Loki remained silent, but glared slightly when Darcy scooted closer.

"You kinda scared me last time. Falling off the bridge, you know? You gave your parents quite the scare."

Loki's eyes narrowed at the mention of his mother and 'father', and Darcy didn't even seem to notice the annoyance in his eyes.

"So, how are you enjoying Earth?" She asked.

"Repulsive." Loki muttered, actually speaking.

Darcy frowned. "It's not _that_ bad."

Loki scoffed, and didn't speak another word. Darcy just sighed and looked away. After a few more moments, she looked back at Loki.

"Have you ever tried waffles?"

Loki looked ready to strangle the girl, when suddenly, there was a flash of light in the sky. The jet's occupants looked about in confusion.

"What the hell?" Natasha muttered. Looking out the window, Darcy noticed a familiar hurricane-like eye forming in the clouds. Her eyes widened.

_Oh, shit_.

Steve noticed Darcy's worried expression. "What's the matter?"

Darcy looked back at Steve. "I think we have company."

Suddenly, the jet shook as something heavy landed on the roof. The passengers listened intently as something seemed to be walking on the roof and moving in the direction of the rear. Putting on his helmet, Stark opened up the loading ramp, and everyone looked in surprise as a figure suddenly leapt off from the top of the jet and onto the edge of the ramp.

It was a woman with long, black hair tied up into a long ponytail. She was wearing a red sleeveless tunic with silver armor plating laced on the front. There was a silver clothed skirt at the end and below that were skin tight black pants that were partly covered by black, leathery boots. Over the armor, she was wearing a light purple jacket-looking garb with some silver armored plating on the sleeves and shoulders. She was holding a medieval looking shield and a long shiny sword with a golden hilt.

Upon seeing Darcy, the woman's face contorted into a snarl.

"_You!_"

Darcy blinked. "Sif?"

Stark immediately raised his hand, preparing to fire a repulsor blast at the intruder, but Sif quickly swung her sword at him, knocking him away from her. Looking to the side, she settled her glare on Loki, who backed away slightly as she approached him. She grabbed him by the throat, and he gagged slightly at the grip. She brought him to her eye level, and glared at him momentarily before dragging him out of the plane and leaping out into the night sky.

Getting up, Stark turned towards Darcy. "Friend of yours?"

Darcy shrugged, while Natasha looked back from the front. "Another Asgardian?"

"Think she's a friendly?" Captain America asked. Stark marched towards the edge of the loading ramp.

"Doesn't matter." He said. "If she frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract is lost."

Her eyes widening as she realized Stark's intent, Darcy rushed forward to stop him. "Stark, no! I know these people and you don't wanna provoke them."

"She's right!" Steve said. "We need a plan of attack!"

"I have a plan." Stark said. "Attack."

The group watched as Iron Man flew from the jet in pursuit of the Asgards. Silently cursing to herself, Darcy took her hammer from her shoulder and started twirling it.

"I'll go make sure no one kills anybody!" She said.

"Wait!" Steve said, but Darcy already flew off as well. Cursing to himself, Steve looked around and saw a rack of parachutes nearby. He took one and strapped it on himself.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap." Natasha said from up front.

"You know I can't." Cap said, picking up his shield.

"These people come from legends." She argued. "They're basically gods."

As he marched to the edge of the ramp, Captain America looked back at the Widow. "There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."

Then, the Cap leapt out of the jet and descended into the forest below.

**Lol yup. Bet you didn't expect that. You don't seriously think that Odin would leave the fate of his only remaining son in the hands of a few misfit mortals, do you?**

**Anyway, I wanna say thanks for all of the reviews that have been posted so far, and I'm happy some of you are enjoying it. I wanna apologize for not posting this sooner, but for some reason my account has been having trouble opening up. Anyway, review pleaz. Til next time.**


	14. Phase One: Asgardian Women in the Mood

**Chapter 14 – Asgardian Women in the Mood**

Loki's eyes widened as he and Sif raced towards the Earth. As the ground drew nearer, Sif held her shield out like a parachute and their descent slowed. But only very little.

The Asgardians landed with a thud on a rocky hill, and while Sif hit the ground without faltering, Loki was sent skidding a few meters before smashing head first into a rock. Groaning in slight pain, Loki slowly pulled himself up, rubbing his head. Looking up, he saw Sif glaring down at him.

"Where is the Tesseract?" She demanded.

"It's good to see you, too." Loki spat, pulling himself up.

"Do I look to be in the mood for any of your infuriating quips?" Sif snapped, driving her sword into the ground, leaving it imbedded in the stone surface. Loki studied the sword, an eyebrow raised.

"Impressive weapon." He said, changing the subject, and he eyed Sif with a smirk. "A symbol of honor if I recall. What have you been doing, Sif?"

Still glaring daggers at Loki, Sif huffed. "The AllFather saw it fit to promote me for my recent accomplishments. I am now considered to be the mightiest warrior in Asgard, now that Thor is gone…" Sif's glare seemed to intensify. "Thanks in no small part to _you_."

Loki sighed and sat up, resting his arm on a rock and giving Sif a look of displeasure. "Have you come to kill me, Sif? Was seeing me lose my home, my title, and my honor not enough for you?"

"I did not come here to kill you, you fool!" Sif hissed. "No matter how tempting it may be."

"Then why have you come?" Loki growled.

Sif sighed, and walked away from the prince of lies, staring out into the night sky. "The AllFather suffers. The loss of both you and Thor had taken its toll on his faith, as well as that of every other person in Asgard. He has barely been seen since the few weeks after your fall from the Bifrost. But when he discovered that you were here on Midgard, I volunteered to come here and bring you back."

Loki smirked wickedly. "I'm flattered, Sif. You must have really missed me."

The Asgardian maiden turned around glaring daggers at Loki, and she quickly grabbed Loki by the hair, getting a hiss from the mischief god in the process, and pulled him up to his feet.

"I did not do this for you." She said coldly. "If anything I would have preferred to let those mortals flay you alive."

Loki sneered in her face. "Then tell me, Lady Sif, that out of all the people the AllFather could have conjured here on this miserable planet, why you?"

"Because there has been enough suffering in these realms. Nobody needs you adding to it. It's what the AllFather wants." Sif said, and her expression softened slightly at the next part. "It's what Thor would want."

"And there it is." Loki said, smiling evilly. "This isn't about the mortals, or the AllFather. It's about honoring Thor."

Sif's face grew red with anger. "It is not…"

"Oh, but it is." Loki interrupted, and his eyes narrowed. "Did you have feelings for him, Sif?"

Sif said nothing, and just continued to glare.

"Did you touch him? Did you look upon him with love?" Loki continued, and then scoffed. "There was no love in that one. There was only pride and arrogance. He was blind to such a feeling. And my only regret is that he had to die before he could know such emotions."

Sif looked absolutely furious, and barely restrained the urge to punch the god of lies.

"Whatever feelings I may have had," Sif said dangerously, "are none of your concern."

"If that is what you wish, then so be it." Loki said, facing away from Sif. But Sif grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look at her straight in the eye.

"Now, tell _me_, Laufeyson," Sif hissed, and gave a satisfied smirk when she saw the look of anger on Loki's face, "and, yes, the AllFather informed me of your true heritage. Tell me why out of all the realms you could have chosen to conquer, you choose this realm of mortals?"

Loki pushed Sif away from him, and she stumbled back slightly. "Because for years, I lived in my brother's shadow. While the AllFather paraded him with honor and the throne, I remained in the shade of his greatness. I who was and should be king!"

Sif looked shocked for a moment, and then she gave him an incredulous look. "So you take this world of mortals as recompense for imagined slights? You truly are lost, Loki. The mortals will never take you as their king."

"Won't they?" Loki sneered. "Day by day, the humans slaughter each other in droves, lacking the guidance needed to prosper. I mean to rule them. That's why I should not…"

"You think yourself above them." Sif declared, giving Loki a pitiful gaze.

Loki scoffed. "And you don't? I seem to recall you never thought to highly of them yourself."

"That's not the point, Loki." Sif said, shaking her head. "You speak of ruling, yet your ideals are like that of a warlord. Like that of Laufey's."

"_You dare…_" Loki hissed dangerously.

"Yes I dare." Sif hissed back. "The throne would suit you ill, Loki, just as it did in Asgard. You were a fool then, and you're a fool now."

Loki pushed past Sif, standing on the edge of the cliff and gazing out into the starry sky. "I have seen worlds you've never known about. I have grown, Lady Sif, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract. And when I wield it..."

"Power?" Sif asked, confused. "What power? When did you come across this?"

Loki stopped suddenly, and slowly turned his head towards Sif, grinning. "_He_ showed me."

"Who?"

"A death dealer. An avatar of chaos and destruction." Loki said. "His name pales in importance than to that of his power."

Sif huffed. "So than he controls you. It is as I thought. The would-be-king is nothing more than a puppet."

"I am a king!" Loki snapped, but Sif shoved him.

"Not here!" She yelled back. "You give up the Tesseract and this pointless dream, and come back to Asgard."

Loki glared distastefully as Sif grabbed the neck of his robes and pulled him close to her. "If you don't I will drag you back there myself!"

Loki glared at Sif for a few moments, and then chuckled. "I don't have it."

Sif pushed him back, and quickly grabbed the hilt of her sword and yanked it out of the ground. For a moment, it appeared as though she was going to strike him, but Loki spoke before she could try.

"You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off. I know not where." He said, smiling. "Quite the predicament isn't it."

Sif pointed at Loki, glowering dangerously. "You listen well, Loki. I…"

Suddenly, a metal red and gold figure zoomed by and slammed right into Sif. Loki glanced casually in their direction, watching as the figure, Iron Man, carried Sif off into the forest.

Shrugging, Loki muttered. "I'm listening."

Suddenly, Loki heard something hit the ground behind him, and before he could turn to see what it was, something grabbed his robe and spun him around.

Loki was now face to face with Thordis, who was looking at him with a remorseful expression.

"I'm really sorry about this."

"Wha…?"

Loki wasn't even able to finish the sentence as Darcy pulled her fist back and drove it at his face. Loki felt a brief flash of pain before everything went dark.

ooooo

Iron Man continued to carry Sif off a great distance until the Asgardian maiden, after realizing where she was, snarled in fury and beat her fist against Iron Man's chest plating. The amazing force behind the strike was enough to both dent the armor and force Iron Man to falter and release Sif, who fell from the sky and landed in the wooded terrain below. Landing perfectly on her feet, Sif readied her sword and shield as the armored avenger landed a few meters away from her. Once he did, his helmet opened up to reveal his face.

"Never touch me again." Sif growled.

"Then don't take my stuff." Tony retorted.

Sif scoffed. "You have no idea what you are dealing with, mortal."

"Err… Xena: Warrior Princess?" Tony guessed, and Sif gave a confused expression.

Getting no response, Tony shrugged. "No? Hm… Kesha? No, not enough glitter. Hey, what about…"

"Enough!" Sif snapped, and Tony reared back in surprise as the maiden quickly rushed towards him. He didn't have time to charge a repulsor blast as the woman slammed into him shield first, and the amazing force behind the strike sent Iron Man flying into a tree. The tree snapped in half upon collision, and Sif smirked in satisfaction. Iron Man grunted as he pulled himself up. From beneath his helmet, Tony glared at the Asgardian.

"Okay…"

Sif readied her weapon when she saw Iron Man start to get up, but she was blown back when he fired repulsor blasts from his hands and chest. She crashed into a tree as well, but was able to slow down the impact by driving her heals into the dirt. As a result, the tree wasn't as damaged as when Iron Man hit the other one. But Iron Man zoomed towards Sif and delivered a kick that sent her flying through the tree and into a nearby clearing.

Pulling herself up, Sif snarled at the metal clad superhero. She lifted her shield up to block the incoming repulsor blast, which rikochead off of the alien metal and scathed a nearby tree. As she blocked each blast, Sif slowly drew nearer. As she was only a few feet away from him, he put all his power into one blast, and Sif clenched her teeth as she continued to push forward.

Then, when the blast finally ended, Sif delivered a punch to Iron Man's head, denting the metal and driving his head back. She drove her knee into the suit's abdomen, actually shattering the armor. As Iron Man doubled over, Sif brought the sword back and drove into Iron Man's side, actually breaching the armor. Tony hissed as he felt the blade scathe his side but not actually impale him.

"_Sir_," The voice of JARVIS, Stark's AI assistant, spoke, "_the breach has damaged the Mark VI's power supply. Power is now plummeting at dangerous levels._"

"Damnit…" Tony muttered. "Then we'll just have to make the best of it."

Sif looked down in surprise as the suit's chest piece started glowing and a powerful repulsor blast sent her flying away. She was able to regain her composure and landed perfectly on her feet, and the ground shook the moment she landed. Glaring down each other down, Iron Man and Sif prepared to charge, and both flew at each other.

Activating his flight boosters, Iron Man grabbed hold of Sif and flew upwards with her in hand. The two flew through several branches, many of which snagged onto Sif's hair or snapped across her face. The two flew some distance before Iron Man slammed Sif into the side of a rocky mountain. Sif grunted as her face was dragged along the rocky surface, and delivered a right hook to Iron Man's helmet, but he shook it off and continued to drive her further into the mountainside. Sif folded her legs into a squatting position and pushed herself off of the mountainside, and she and Iron Man were driven from the mountainside and sent flying back into the wooded terrain.

Both combatants slammed through a tree, breaking it in half, and Sif's sword and shield fell from her grasp. Both combatants picked themselves up, and Sif delivered a strong punch that drove Iron Man's head to the side. He looked back at her and tried to deliver a punch of his own, but Sif grabbed his wrist. He attempted to punch her with his other fist, but she caught that one as well.

As he tried to free himself from her grip, Tony felt the suit's right hand breaking around his wrist as Sif slowly crushed it in her hand. Sif didn't even feel the sparks coming from the metal, and smirked as she heard Tony grunting in slight pain. However, his hand opened up, and Sif grunted as a repulsor blast struck her right in the face. Temporarily blinded, Sif released Iron Man, who grabbed her by the shoulders and delivered a headbut. Sif grunted, and shook her head. Glaring back at Iron Man, she delivered a headbutt of her own, and Iron Man was actually sent flying a few meters away from her.

Rolling back to his feet, Iron Man rocketed back towards Sif and grabbed her. Swinging her around, Iron Man threw her into the tree that the two of them broke earlier, and she hit the ground with a oomf.

Sif pulled herself up, glaring, and noticed her sword lying nearby. Picking it up, she jumped at Iron Man, who ducked to avoid being cut by the alien blade. He tried to deliver an uppercut, but Sif backed away from it and drove her fist right into his metal face. He stumbled back slightly, and grunted as Sif beat her feast down on his head, driving him to his knees. Sif then drove two of her fingers into the eyes of Tony's helmet, breaking through them. Tony felt the digits poke against his eyes, and then felt himself being picked up by the head. Holding onto his helmet like a bowling ball, Sif flipped Iron Man over her shoulder and felt the helmet break off of the suit. Now helmetless, Iron Man fell on his back, and looked up to see Sif raising her sword to impale him.

Thinking fast, Iron Man rocketed away from her and Sif drove her sword into the ground. She looked up to see Iron Man coming back at her and he delivered a punch to her head. Grunting in anger, Sif pulled her sword out of the ground and prepared to strike him.

"Hey!" A voice suddenly said, and a spangled shield suddenly struck Sif in the head and bounced into Iron Man's chest plate. The shield returned back to its thrower, and Sif and Iron Man looked up to see Captain America standing up on the broken tree, glaring down at the both of them.

"That's enough!"

He jumped down from his perch, and looked at Sif warily. "Now I don't know what you plan on doing here…"

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's madness!" Sif barked at him, clearly angry at the fight being interrupted.

"Then prove it." The captain said, and he approached her cautiously. "Put the sword down."

Sif glared, and then glanced over at Iron Man as he started to speak. "Uh… yep! No! Bad call! She loves her sw… OOMF!"

Sif swung her sword at Iron Man, leaving a large cut in his armor's chest plate and sending him flying back on his back. Looking up angrily at Captain America, Sif hissed.

"You want me to put the sword down?"

Captain America's eyes widened as the Asgardian maiden leapt at him, preparing to strike him with her sword. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the captain quickly raised his shield and the sword struck the side. The vibranium shield made a loud clanging noise as the blade made contact, and the resulting shockwave sent Sif flying back and left a huge crater in the surrounding forest.

Sif grunted as she pulled herself up, and looked at Captain America in shock. Her sword was made of the most powerful metal in all of Asgard. Nothing had ever been strong enough to protect itself from the blade. She watched as the captain slowly picked himself up, and she heard a grown behind her and looked to see Iron Man pulling himself up as well. He picked up his discarded helmet, and walked over to the two.

The three looked at each other for a few moments, when a voice suddenly spoke up.

"Are you guys done yet?"

The three looked up to see Thordis sitting on the top of a tree with an unconscious Loki thrown over her shoulder. She looked at Sif with a frown.

"Seriously, you can't even stay out of Asgard for five minutes without getting into a fight." Darcy said, and then muttered. "And Jane says I'm crazy…"

Sif glared at the young thunder goddess, and then turned to Captain America as he started to speak. "Listen, your intentions may be good, but if we're gonna accomplish anything here you're gonna have to work with us. We need to take Loki back to base so he can tell us where the Tesseract is. You can either help us, or leave."

Sif thought for a moment, and then surveyed the damage. Upon seeing the chaos she created, Sif immediately felt guilty. Earlier when she was speaking with Loki, the forest actually looked peaceful and serene. Now it looked like a battle-torn wasteland.

Looking back at the captain, Sif lowered her sword. "Very well."

**Sif can be a real hothead, can't she. Hopefully she can work alongside mortals without losing her cool. Especially Darcy…**

**Also, I know some of you want a Hikesh/Soladat romance, and after thinking it over, I thought, what the hell. So you can expect to see a little chemistry between the two. Next chapter, the group meets at the Helicarrier to discuss their current predicaments. Review pleaz.**


	15. Phase One: Discussions

**Chapter 15 – Discussions**

Soladat rushed to the hanger as the quinjet docked. She smiled when she saw Stark, Rogers, Darcy, Agent Romanoff, and… some woman she's never seen before? Raising her eyebrow, Soladat noticed the body Darcy was carrying, and her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"You got him?" She said, amazed.

Darcy nodded, and Tony just laughed. "Yeah. Some all-powerful god. Can't even handle one punch."

Soladat smirked, and then looked at the strange woman who, come to think of it, was dressed similarly to Darcy and Loki. "And who's this?"

"Another Asgardian." Natasha answered. "Apparently she wants to help."

"And she can be trusted?" Soladat said, looking at the Asgardian suspiciously. Sif clearly didn't appreciate the look, and glared back at the winged agent.

"Let's hope so." Captain America muttered.

ooooo

Loki remained unconscious for the next few hours, evidence that Darcy's punch was more effective than everyone thought. When he finally awoke, he found himself in a large, cylindrical glass cell. Grunting, Loki pulled himself up and winced when he felt pain in his jaw. Rubbing his cheek, Loki looked around the cell.

Standing up, Loki felt the glass, and frowned. Quite durable. Maybe to durable for him to break out of on the inside. But no matter. He would escape eventually.

He turned at the sound of a door sliding open, and looked to see Director Fury walking into the room. With his hands behind his back, Fury stopped in front of the cell and looked at Loki expressionlessly. Loki did the same.

"Glad to see you're finally up and running again." Fury stopped and then studied the cell. "Well… you're up at least."

Loki smirked. "Don't bother feigning any hospitality towards me, Fury. You and I both know that everyone on this ship would prefer me dead."

"True." Fury said, shrugging. "But there are some issues we need that we need you alive for us to take care of."

Loki chuckled, shaking his head. "You think to interrogate me, Fury? Typical mortal."

"Don't think I wouldn't." Fury said, glaring. "But we have other methods. More effective methods of getting what we need. And let me just make one thing clear to you."

Loki stood unnerved as Fury walked over to a nearby panel. "If you try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass…"

Fury flipped a switch, and Loki looked below the cell to see an enormous hatch open up. Wind blew through the room as a result of the turbulence outside, and Loki looked down, seemingly nervous.

"Thirty-thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap." Fury yelled over the wind. He flipped the switch back, and the hatch closed. He looked back at Loki smugly. "See how that works?"

Fury motioned towards Loki. "Ant," and then motioned towards the panel, "boot."

Loki glared at Fury for a few moments, and then laughed, shaking his head again. "It's an impressive cage, I'll admit. But not built for me, I believe."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Fury snapped.

Loki scoffed in disbelief. "Yes, I've heard."

Loki turned towards as security camera, glaring at it, or rather the people looking in on this conversation, with malice. "The mindless beast, makes play to be the man."

Loki turned back towards Fury, who looked on without any feeling.

"How desperate are you?" The god of lies asked. "That you call on such lost creatures to defend you? Beasts, outcasts, and machines of war?"

"How desperate am I?" Fury said, glaring his one eye towards the imprisoned war criminal. He walked up closer to the cell so that he was now eye to eye with the Norse god.

"You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace, yet you kill cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate." Fury gave a smirk that Loki frowned at. "You might not be glad that you did.

Loki stared at Fury, as if reading him. He narrowed his eyes. "It burns you come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what?"

Loki looked back at Fury's eyes, glaring menacingly. "A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."

The two glared at each other for a few moments, before Fury gave a huff and turned to leave. Not even looking in Loki's direction, he spoke over his shoulder.

"Yeah, well, let me know if real power wants a magazine or something."

Loki watched as Fury left, and gave a low chuckle as he walked to the center of the cell, and sat down in contemplation.

ooooo

Back on the bridge, Agent Romanoff quickly switched off the camera feed. Around her, Captain America, Archangel, Thordis, Sif, and Dr. Banner were gathered around a large rectangular conference table, giving looks of uncertainty. Nobody said anything. They just stared at each other, unsure of how to deal with this madman. Finally, Dr. Banner broke the silence.

"He really grows on you doesn't he." He said sarcastically.

Sif scoffed. "Try dealing with him for a thousand years."

Darcy shrugged. "So he's a little cray-cray. I guess that's what happens when you go plummeting into an inter-dimensional gateway."

"I sense he was already blinded by rage." Hikesh said, entering the room. "He was already heading down the dark path. Whatever traumas he recently endured only added to his descent to madness."

Sif looked at the Prothean in surprise. "What manor of creature is this?"

Soladat frowned at the Asgardian. "_He_ is a Prothean, lady."

Sif looked unimpressed. "Really? And how many more of you are there, exactly?"

Hikesh glared his four eyes at the Asgardian. "More than enough to handle you, mutant."

The comment caused Sif to grit her teeth, and she looked ready to tackle the Prothean, when Captain America, his mask discarded, broke the tension. "Either way, Loki's gonna drag this out."

Soladat nodded at the captain, and then turned to Sif. "So, Sif, what's his play?"

Sif got up from her seat, and walked around the table, looking uneasy. "He has an army. They are called the Chitauri. They are not of Asgard or any of the Nine Realms. I do not know where they originate from. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth. In return for, I expect, the Tesseract."

"An army." Steve said bemusedly. "From outer space?"

Soladat turned towards Hikesh. "Do you know anything about these people?"

Hikesh shook his head. "No. I never encountered any sentients with that name in my last cycle. Whatever these 'Chitauri' are, I do not think they are from this galaxy."

"So than he's building another portal." Banner said, wide-eyed. "That's what he needs Dr. Selvig for."

Darcy spoke up. "But Erik and Jane haven't even come close to building a portal. Why would Loki need Erik for something like that?"

"Erik Selvig's work is not ambient without the power of the Tesseract." Hikesh answered. "With it, your friend's research will jump ahead to the necessary requisites in Loki's plan."

Steve spoke next. "I wanna know why he let us take him. He can't lead an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki." Bruce said, shaking his head. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him."

"You don't know the half of it." Darcy said. "Last time I saw him, Loki was trying to blow up an entire planet."

"Jotunheim is barely recovering from the chaos." Sif said. "After the loss of their leader, the Frost Giants turned on each other, slaughtering one another for dominance."

"Speaking of which," Darcy said, "what ever happened to Loki Senior?"

Sif looked confused for a moment, and then realized what she was referring to. "Laufey fell from the Bifrost as well. However, he and Loki fell through at different times. Where Laufey wonders now, or if he is even alive, is unknown to me."

"Wait," Soladat spoke up, "your saying we have another alien freekazoid out there?"

"Possibly." Sif assured the winged shadow agent. "But if he is, he is most likely out of reach of the Nine Realms. He isn't the biggest issue right now."

"Anyway," Dr. Banner said, getting everyone's attention, "what does Loki need iridium for?"

Suddenly, the door slid open and in walked Tony Stark with Agents Coulson and Hill flanking his sides.

"It's a stabilizing agent." Tony answered, somehow having heard Banner's question. "Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D."

As Stark walked over to the table, he stopped briefly by Sif, giving her a wink. "No hard feelings, sweetheart. You got spunk."

Sif glared at him in annoyance. Tony just smirked and continued explaining. "Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants."

"Yes. Chemical compounds would succeed in interstellular expansion. With how much was taken, the portal could stay open for weeks." Hikesh said. Tony blinked at the Prothean, and then leaned towards Agent Coulson.

"Er… what's that?" He whispered.

"An alien." Coulson said plainly.

Tony looked back at Hikesh, wide-eyed. "Huh… You know I'm starting to wonder if S.H.I.E.L.D. is a security agency or just a traveling freak show."

Hikesh did not look amused, and turned towards Soladat. "Is he always this infuriating?"

Soladat smirked. "You have no idea."

Tony walked over to the computer monitors lined up around Fury's pedestal. He asked some of the bridge techs to raise the monitors. Suddenly, he pointed at one of the bridge techs attending the many computer monitors on the bridge.

"That man is playing Galaga!" He shouted. Everyone on the bridge blinked and turned towards the man. Realizing everyone was staring on him, the tech immediately shut off the game and looked around nervously.

"He thought we wouldn't notice." Tony announced. "But we did."

Everyone just looked at Tony with bemused expressions. Darcy leaned over at Banner.

"Is this guy for real?" She whispered. Banner just shrugged helplessly.

Tony turned about, looking at the monitors in confusion. He looked back at the group. "How does Fury even see these?"

"He turns." Agent Hill said, leaning against the wall with her arms cross.

"Sounds exhausting." Tony muttered. While no one else seemed to notice, Soladat frowned when she briefly saw Tony placing a few miniature devices on the monitors. Tony then turned back to the group.

"The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube." He explained.

Agent Hill raised an eyebrow. "When did you become an expert on thermonuclear astrophysics?"

"Last night." Tony smirked, enjoying the looks he got. "The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked. Dr. Banner got up from his seat, thinking.

"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." He said. Everyone, minus Stark and Hikesh, just looked at him with blank expressions. Hikesh walked over to him.

"Unless, Erik Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect." The Prothean said. Bruce shrugged at his assistant.

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."

Everyone just looked at the pair in shock. Tony just looked amazed.

"Wow." He said. "I guess some people can speak English."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Is that what just happened?"

"Dr. Banner." Tony said, walking up to Bruce and shaking his hand. "You're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

Bruce blinked. "Um… thanks?"

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube."

Everyone turned to see Fury, with Carrie following him, entering the room. Fury glared at Stark. "I was hoping you might join him."

"Why don't we start with that stick of his." Steve recommended. "It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon."

"That's because it's powered by the Tesseract." Fury said to the captain. "But what I'd like to know is how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Sif said, confused. "I don't understand."

"I do!" Steve suddenly said, and everyone looked at him. Steve immediately sat down, looking embarrassed.

"I uh… I understood that reference."

Soladat and Darcy giggled at the super soldier, while Fury just shook his head.

"Stark, I want you to do everything you can to help Banner and Hikesh find the cube." He ordered. "I want you to do whatever you can to find it."

"Oooh, so forward. I like that."

Everyone jumped at the sound of the voice, and turned to see an unfamiliar woman standing in the corner. Claire Voyant smirked at them all, and Soladat sat up, pointing her gun at the woman.

"Who the hell are you?" She ordered. Claire frowned at the girl.

"Fury, would you please tell your attack dog to point her little toy elsewhere?"

Fury just glared at the woman. "How the hell did you get on this ship?"

Claire smirked. "I have my ways."

"Wait a minute, Fury, who is this?" Steve said, an eyebrow raised. Claire looked over at the super soldier.

"Ah, the famous Captain America." She said, and then looked at Hikesh. "And a Prothean. Good to see you followed my advice, Fury."

"Why are you here?" Fury asked, still glaring at the unwelcomed guest.

"My client sent me. He thought you might need help with your… little problem."

"You mean Mephisto?" Tony spoke up, and everyone, even Claire, looked at his surprised. He shrugged. "I read."

"You looked up our agency's personal records?" Coulson said, looking displeased.

"Was that wrong?" Tony said. "Should I not have done that?"

Fury looked back at Claire. "I hope you know that I don't appreciate murderers in my company, Ms. Voyant."

Claire scoffed. "Murder is such a strong word, Director Fury. I think of what I do as a way of citing justice. In a way, the people I subdue usually deserve it in some way."

"_No one_ deserves what you've done to them." Fury hissed.

"Save your qualms, Fury." Claire said boredly. "I don't have the time nor the desire to listen."

"Why would _you_ want help _us_?" Soladat said, her gun still pointed.

Claire shrugged. "You could say I something of a… patriot. The world is crazy enough already. I'd like for it to take a breather for once."

Claire looked at Darcy, smirking. "Can't really do that with your boyfriend running around causing trouble, can it."

"He's not…" Darcy started to say, but Claire waved her off. She turned back to Fury.

"I'll lend a hand whenever I feel it's necessary. Don't bother trying to throw me off this ship, Fury." Claire said, smiling. "It won't work."

Fury glared as she slowly walked away. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere." Then, just like that, Claire was gone. Everyone just looked in the direction she disappeared, shocked.

"Um…" Bruce said. "What just happened?"

"The Devil's come to town, that's what." Fury said.

ooooo

Loki sat crisscross in his cell, his eyes closed as he thought of how his plan would continue. Suddenly, he felt an essence nearby. Opening his eyes, he turned and scowled when he saw Darcy standing there. She no longer had Mjolnir, and was in mortal form. Her hair was now brown again and she was wearing a block sleeveless top and jeans. Her arms folded, she looked at him.

"Hey." She said.

Loki's eyes narrowed. "I assume Fury sent you here to interrogate me?"

Darcy shook her head. "No. No Fury. No S.H.I.E.L.D. Just me. I got Agent Wrekk to disable the security feed so no one would stop me."

Loki stood up. "And what reason would you have for that, hm? You think I'll just fall fool to a pretty face?"

Darcy smirked. "Still think I'm pretty, huh?"

Loki scowled, remembering the last time he inadvertently called her pretty. "We are _not_ going back to that again."

Sighing, Darcy looked at Loki seriously. "Why are you really doing this?"

"Doing what?" Loki said, feigning innocence.

"You know damn well what I mean." Darcy snapped. "All of this. Conquering Earth, kidnapping Erik?"

"My reasons are none of your concern." Loki hissed.

"It's my planet." Darcy said, eyes narrowed. "Therefore it's my concern."

Loki glared at the girl. "Your people are lost and uneducated, Darcy Lewis. They will only kill themselves. They need a leader. They need a king."

"Maybe you're right." Darcy admitted, getting a smile of satisfaction from Loki. "But a true king is someone who looks after and cares for his people. So far, you have failed to do any of those things. You don't care about the people or their safety."

"You will not question my methods." Loki bit back, scowling.

"I can, and I will." Darcy said, her hands on her hips. "If you have a problem with that, I can easily kick your ass just like I did last time."

Loki opened his mouth, preparing to give a rebuttal, but Darcy beat him to it. "My people don't deserve what you have in store for them. There are men, women, and children out there who just want to enjoy life as it is."

Loki watched as Darcy walked up to the glass, looking at Loki with doe eyes. "So I'm begging you. Stop this."

"Stop?" Loki said, looking bemused. "Why would I stop?"

Darcy glared. "Because I want you to."

Before Loki could say anything, Darcy spun around and left. Loki watched her go, and couldn't help but find that he liked seeing her when she was serious.

**That took a while to write. I know, mostly just dialogue and stuff. Next chapter, there's more interaction between characters, new dialogue, etc. Don't like, don't read.**


	16. Phase One: The Astral Plain

**Chapter 16 – Astral Plains**

Soladat walked down the halls, passing a few agents. She was heading for her quarters, intending to restock on her ammunition. As she neared it, she stopped at the sight of a familiar Prothean.

"Hey, Hikesh." Soladat said, smiling.

Hikesh nodded at her. "Soladat."

"I thought you were helping Banner and Stark find the Tesseract?"

"One person can only take so much Stark." Hikesh remarked. Soladat chuckled, and stared at Hikesh for a few moments. Hikesh frowned, looking confused.

"What?" He asked. Soladat blinked.

"What do you mean what?"

"I mean why are your eyes fixated on mine? It is unsettling."

Soladat blinked and backed away, blushing. "Oh… um, sorry."

"It is alright." Hikesh said, still not understanding why she was stuttering. He gave her one of the few smiles he has made since his awakening. "I wanted to thank you for defending me against the mutant. You didn't have to, yet you did."

"No problem. She was a bitch anyway." Soladat said, smiling. But then she gave a confused frown. "But why do you keep calling her a mutant?"

"Because it is all she and her people really are. Just tank bred mutations." Hikesh said plainly.

"I don't understand." Soladat said, frowning.

"It is a discussion I'd rather save for later." Hikesh stated. "There is a lot at stake right now, and giving away that kind of information would jeopardize everything.

Soladat frowned, but nonetheless shrugged. "If you say so."

Hikesh studied her for a few moments, and then frowned and reached out to touch her face. SOladat blinked and backed away somewhat.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Just relax."

His fingers made contact with her skin, and Soladat's eyes widened as she felt his green aura enveloping her. He was reading her.

"You are scared. Unsure that we will succeed." Hikesh stated. "You feel we are unprepared for the threats coming our way, and are scared of losing everything when the entire world depends on all of us."

Soladat gasped as Hikesh pulled away and the aura dissipated. She breathed heavily, the strain of the experience having been extremely powerful. She looked up at Hikesh.

"Was I that obvious?" She asked, still breathing.

Hikesh smirked. "I have always been able to detect a person's inner turmoils even without the need for my sensory abilities. I could see the distress in your eyes."

"You were looking at my eyes?" Soladat asked.

Hikesh shrugged. "They are a pleasant shade that my people never had. They are an interesting sight."

"Did you just compliment me?" Soladat asked, smirking.

Hikesh frowned. "Should I not have?"

Soladat laughed and shook her head. "We couldn't do any of this without you, Xegh. We're lucky to have you here."

Hikesh gave her a smile. "I am honored. It is strange, though, going to war against an enemy other than the Reapers. Your people don't prepare for high-risk operations the way we did in my cycle."

Soladat raised an eyebrow. "How did Protheans prepare for high-risk operations?"

"With violence, usually." Hikesh responded. "My people were brilliant military tacticians. We had more operational violence discipline than you humans do, but fewer personal restrictions. Our leaders ran us hard, yes. But I knew when to relieve stress."

"Yeah?" Soladat said, smirking. "How?"

Hikesh smiled as he remembered back to his days in the Prothean military. "There was a young soldiers. Female. Her name was Elassa. We first met on a planet that we had recently taken back from the Reapers during the first few years of the war. She and I had been on the same squad, and were at each other's throats for a long while, so she suggested we settle it with a duel."

"You fought her?" Soladat asked, and Hikesh nodded. "And how did that go, exactly?"

"Actually, she and I were quite even hand-to-hand. If we were allowed to use our dark energies, I would have beaten her, but there were restrictions. It was long and brutal. Neither of us had any intention of going down. In the end, the battle ended in a stalemate, as our squad leader broke up the fight." Hikesh gave a smile. "We ended up having a tiebreaker in her quarters. It was a good way to settle off the stress."

Soladat blinked, and then gave a wicked smile. "So you actually…"

Hikesh looked at her, grinning. Soladat just laughed and slapped his shoulder. "You dog!"

Hikesh suddenly frowned. "What's a dog?"

But Soladat just laughed at him and shook her head. She walked away from him and leaned against the wall. "So you and Elassa, did you two… do anything afterward?"

Hikesh cocked his head. "Are you asking if she and I pursued any form of romantic relationship afterward?"

"Sure." Soladat shrugged.

Hikesh suddenly looked sad. "We were close, yes. But a few months after our fight, I lost her."

Soladat blinked, and then looked guilty. "Oh… sorry."

Hikesh took a deep breath. "That was millennia ago. I have moved on."

"If you don't mind me asking," Soladat said, "how did she die?"

Hikesh looked away from Soladat. "I killed her."

Soladat blanched. "You… What?"

"I had no choice." Hikesh said quickly. "She was enslaved. Indoctrinated by the Reapers. They controlled her thoughts to get to me and my squad. She attacked me, but in her last few moments she was able to break free and gave me her weapon. It was she who asked me to do it."

Hikesh sighed, and looked down at the floor in mournful silence. Soladat looked at him with doe eyes, feeling a pang of sympathy for the Prothean. Hikesh looked up as she approached him.

"Xegh…" She said quietly, and stroked his cheek. Hikesh closed his eyes, sighing. Soladat looked at him in the eyes for a few moments, before kissing what she assumed was his cheek. She put her hands on his shoulders.

"What do you need?" She urged. He gently took her hands off his face, and looked at her seriously.

"I need you to stay focused." He ordered. "Can you do that?"

Soladat nodded, and Hikesh let her go. Without a word, he left her, and Soladat watched him depart in silence. Neither of them notices the figure watching from the shadows, grinning mischievously.

ooooo

"Are you sure everything is alright, honey?"

"Yeah, mom. I'm sure." Darcy assured her mother over her cellphone. Fortunately, Wi-Fi aboard the helicarrier was ten-times as strong as it was back in New Mexico.

"Sweetheart, what's really going on?" Mrs. Lewis asked. "I called your friend, but she wouldn't tell me anything."

Darcy sighed. "Mom, there's just something really important I have to deal with on my own. It's sort of a… business thing."

"Business?" Mrs. Lewis said in confusion. "I didn't know you did anything in that area."

"It's _secret_ business, mom." Darcy said. "That's all I can really tell you."

"Darcy…"

"I'll be fine, mom." Darcy said sternly. She heard her mother sigh on the other end.

"Alright, alright. You win." Mrs. Lewis resigned. "But you better call me back when all this is over."

"I will. I promise." Darcy said, and hung up. She put her phone back in her pocket and sighed. She walked down from the rectangular conference table and down a few steps towards Agent Coulson, who was standing next to Sif. They both acknowledged her with a nod.

"How you feeling?" Coulson asked.

Darcy shrugged. "Alright I guess."

"None of us have time for guessing." Sif said, frowning. Darcy just frowned back and shook her head.

Sif sighed, and looked out the view port and into the ocean below. "You know, it is no coincidence Loki taking Erik Selvig. Given your role in his outcast, he will use whatever links he can use to break you."

"Yeah. I know." Darcy muttered. She gave a low sigh. "And to think. All this started from just a hammer falling out of the sky. Maybe things would have been better if I'd just stay at Culver and flunked rather than go with Jane to that desert…"

"I don't know about that, Ms. Lewis." Agent Coulson spoke up. He gave the two women a half-smile. "You did some pretty extraordinary things then. You changed things. Forever."

"Things were better as they were." Sif said, frowning. "Back when our worlds were apart. Back when our prince was still alive."

Darcy sighed. "I said I was…"

"Sorry, yes I know. But you know what? He's dead now, and it's not like apologizing for it will bring him back." Sif hissed. "No matter how many times you say it."

"Then just let it go!" Darcy said, frowning. "If you can accept he won't come back, then accept he's dead. You can't always rely on him."

Sif blinked, surprised at the statement. Darcy immediately felt guilty. "Look, I didn't mean it like that…"

"No." Sif said, sighing. "You are right."

Darcy watched as Sif returned her gaze to the ocean. "When I first came to Earth, my rage averted my attention away from this realm's true beauty. And now Loki seeks to ruin it all."

Sif clenched her fists. "We pretend on Asgard to be more advanced than you. Yet all we've done is court mindless destruction and war."

"War hasn't started yet." Sif, Darcy, and Coulson turned to see Fury, who had apparently been listening in on their conversation. "You think you can make Loki tell us what the Tesseract is?"

Sif scoffed. "No. He will never tell me anything."

"Or any of us, really." Darcy said. "If there is anything he's more determined to do, its to get back at me for what I did to him. Nothing will change his mind."

"A lot of guys think that way." Fury said. "Until they've run out of options."

Sif glared at Fury. "What are you asking us to do?"

"I'm asking," Fury said intently, "what are you prepared to do?"

"Loki is a prisoner." Sif argued.

"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?"

ooooo

Hikesh sat alone in his quarters, meditating. He had only been a wake for little more than a year, and everything had already fallen to chaos. The short peace he had enjoyed after awakening from the Reaper War was already disrupted, and by one of his peoples' ancient genetic constructs no less. If the humans were to fight back against the Reapers, they couldn't do it while being ruled by some power hungry tyrant.

That is why Hikesh had to help stop Loki.

Suddenly, the door slid open, and Hikesh looked up to see Soladat enter the room.

"Soladat?" Hikesh asked. "What do you want?"

Soladat sighed. "I need you."

Hikesh blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Xegh…" Soladat said, and took his face in her hands. She looked at him in the eyes for a moment, and then kissed him. Hikesh's eyes widened in surprise, but slowly, he gave in. So there was one thing the humans were good at…

Hikesh wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her down to him, enjoying the kiss. However, as it deepened, Soladat started to become more aggressive. Hikesh frowned in confusion and pulled away slightly.

"What are you doing?"

Soladat blinked. "What do you mean?"

Hikesh frowned, studying Soladat. He noticed her giving him a strange look. It was emotionless and pale. Nothing like he'd ever seen her in the past. He immediately put his hand up to her face and scanned her. She didn't even flinch.

Seconds later, he pulled his hand away and glared, pushing Soladat off of him.

"I will not allow you to play with my emotions, witch." Hikesh hissed angrily. Normally, anyone would cower at the sound of an angry Prothean, but 'Soladat' just gave a sinister smile. She slowly stood up, and the illusion before Hikesh faded. Standing in Soladat's place was Claire Voyant.

"What do you want, then? An apology?"

Hikesh just glared at her. She smirked. "No? Then how about this?"

Hikesh blinked as Claire suddenly turned into Agent Romanoff. "Is this what you want?"

She then transformed into Carrie White. "What do you want, Xegh?"

Hikesh's face looked angrier then ever when he saw Claire's next transformation. A slim, female Prothean with a purple shell and yellowish skin tone. _Elassa_.

'Elassa' gave a smirk. "What do you _really_ want?"

"I want you to get out." Hikesh hissed.

Claire turned back to her original form, frowning, and left the room. Xegh angrily punched the wall, and then gave a deep breath as he tried to put his emotions aside.

ooooo

In her quarters, Carrie White tossed and turn. For the past few hours, something was bothering her greatly. Ever since the group came back with that Loki person, something very wrong was happening. Carrie felt like a call, a psychic presence inside the helicarrier. Something only she could seem to hear.

As the call intensified, Carrie groaned and sat up, gripping her head. She needed to find it and stop it.

Stepping out of her room, Carrie walked down the hall and followed the call. After moving through several different corridors, passing by several confused looking agents, Carrie came across the laboratory that Stark and Banner were working in.

Before she could open the door, Captain America suddenly stormed out, looking very livid. Upon seeing Carrie, he softened somewhat and nodded.

"Carrie."

"Hi, Mr. Rogers." Carrie greeted. "What's wrong?"

Steve shook his head. "Nothing."

Carrie watched him leave, and then shook her head. She went into the laboratory. Stark and Banner looked surprised to see her.

"Sorry, kid." Tony said. "Daycare center's somewhere else."

Carrie didn't even seem to hear him. Her eyes were focused on something else. Bruce seemed to notice her expression.

"Carrie?" He said, confused. But she didn't hear him.

She slowly walked towards the table behind the two scientists. Tony frowned. "Uh, hello? Earth to White? You awake?"

But she just moved past them. She stopped in front of Loki's scepter. Tony and Bruce blinked when they saw that the blue gem in the scepter seemed to glow brightly as she approached.

"Uh, kid?" Tony said warily. Carrie slowly reached out to touch the scepter.

"Carrie, don't!" Bruce said, but it was too late.

Carrie touched the staff, and Bruce and Tony covered their eyes as the gem glowed brightly. They heard a thud, and the glowing stopped. Blinking, they looked down with wide eyes to see Carrie lying unconscious. The scepter was no longer glowing.

"Kid?" Tony said, shaking the girl. There was no response. "Seriously, kid wake up!"

"What's wrong with her?" Bruce asked.

ooooo

Carrie opened her eyes, and immediately gasped as she took in her surroundings. She wasn't on the Helicarrier anymore. In fact she wasn't sure she was on Earth anymore.

She was standing on a large rocky platform in a place that looked like a vast emptiness of stars. She looked around to see several other rocky formations floating about. In the distance, there seemed to be a large planetoid that had been blown open.

Suddenly, that psychic feeling she had felt before intensified. It was different this time, however. It felt alive. And whatever it was was right behind her.

Carrie slowly turned her head to face the source of the call. And she nearly screamed when she saw it.

In front of her, seated in a large golden throne was a monster. It looked almost like a man, except he had purple skin and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He was wearing a black and gold outfit with a similarly designed helmet. His face was old and wrinkly and there were a number of straight lines going down from his mouth to the tip of his chin. Carrie shuddered when the creature glared at her, and then spoke with a dark, inhuman voice that almost sounded almost sibilant.

"You are not Loki."

**Yeah, I bet you can all guess who that was. Just so you all know, I'm terrible at writing romance so I hope that stuff I've been putting into this has been somewhat satisfying. Before I end this, I want to let you all know that I'll be taking a short break from this fic for a while. Not a really long one like most authors on this sight tend to do. I just feel I've been putting a lot of my time into this fic, and deserve to take a break.**

**I want to thank you all for tuning into this fic, and look forward to reading your reviews. Later.**


	17. Phase One: It All Falls Down

**Chapter 17 – It All Falls Down**

"Nick?"

Fury turned away from Darcy, Sif, and Coulson to face Soladat, who had a very displeased look on her face.

"Agent Wrekk?" Fury questioned. He blinked when Soladat held up a small beeping device. Three to be exact.

"I found these placed on different computer monitors throughout the ship." Soladat said. "Someone's trying to hack us."

Fury's face immediately fell, and Soladat backed away slightly at the look he was giving.

_Stark_. Fury thought angrily, and immediately marched up out of the bridge and towards the laboratory, with Coulson and Soladat following him. Darcy and Sif exchanged confused glances and raced after the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

ooooo

Tony laid Carrie's unconscious body on one of the laboratory's tables. He and Bruce looked her over, and were amazed at how peaceful she looked. Seriously, she was out like a corpse.

"Okay, I'm officially freaked out here." Tony said to Bruce. "Mind telling me why Snow White suddenly decided to drop dead in front of us?"

"She's not dead." Bruce said, frowning, and checked her pulse. "She's just under some kind of catatonic shutdown. Must have something to do with the scepter."

"What happened?"

Bruce and Tony looked and saw Hikesh had entered the lab. He immediately pushed past the pair and studied the unconscious psychic. He looked at Bruce and Tony.

"Well?"

"She blacked out." Bruce said. "The scepter started glowing and when she touched it, she just fell unconscious."

Hikesh blinked in curiosity, and Bruce and Tony backed away in surprise when the green aura of dark energy surrounded Hikesh. He put his hand up against Carrie's forehead and read her.

"She is trapped in some kind of mental plain…" Hikesh said, still reading the girl. "… with some other psychic presence. Whatever it is, she is afraid of it. Very afraid."

"Are you saying there's something in her mind that's doing this?" Tony said, confused. Hikesh's aura faded as he pulled away from Carrie. He shook his head at Tony.

"No. Carrie White's subconscious has merely been pulled from her mind and into another plain of existence." He looked over at the scepter, closing his eyes and he mentally scanned the object. He opened his eyes. "And I'm guessing that the scepter is what is causing it."

"Mr. Stark, would you mind explaining…"

Tony, Bruce, and Hikesh turned to see Director Fury, Soladat, Agent Coulson, Darcy, and Sif enter the lab, but they stopped in the doorway, eyes widened when they saw Carrie lying unconscious on the table. Fury glared up at the three.

"What did you do?"

"We didn't do anything!" Tony said, raising his hands up in defense. "She just waltzed in here like a zombie, touched the scepter, and then passed out!"

"The scepter is giving off some kind of telepathic broadcast." Hikesh explained and Agent Coulson quickly ran over and checked the girl's vitals. "Carrie White was somehow drawn to it, and direct exposure to the object has wrenched her mind into a psychic illusion."

"A telepathic broadcast?" Darcy said, thinking. After spending the last year with Jane and Erik, Darcy's scientific intelligence had been boosted somewhat. "So the scepter can mentally link a person from one point in space to another? That must be how Loki has been contacting his space friends."

"It's a reasonable theory." Sif said. "Loki's allies must have been trying to reach him. When Loki was not here to answer the call, someone else answered it instead."

"But what is she seeing?" Soladat said, looking worried. "If she's face to face with whoever it is Loki is working with, she can't be in polite company."

"Hikesh, can you get her out of this?" Fury asked the Prothean.

Hikesh shook his head. "No. Carrie White's mind is currently linked with the scepter. Trying to force her out of it could cause the scepter to spontaneously combust, and I don't think we want that kind of damage onboard this ship."

"Damnit." Fury muttered, and then turned to Coulson. "Agent Coulson, please take Ms. White to the medical bay."

"Yes, sir." Coulson nodded. He gently picked Carrie up and carried her out of the lab. Once the door closed, Tony broke the silence with a loud sigh.

"Okay, now that freakout theater is over, was there something you needed?" He said to Fury. Fury suddenly remembered what they came in here for. He turned to Soladat and nodded. She nodded back and presented Stark's tracking devices.

"Mind telling us why we found these scattered throughout the ship?" Fury said, glaring.

"Just doing my own investigation." Tony said, smirking. "You did ask me to investigate, after all."

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract." Fury retorted.

"We are." Bruce said. "The models locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile."

"Yeah, you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss." A screen behind Tony suddenly started beeping, and Tony turned around and read something off of it, and then turned back to the group. "What is phase two?"

Suddenly, the door slid open and Captain America entered, carrying a large crate. He placed it on the table that Carrie had been laying on earlier, and looked at Fury disapprovingly.

"Phase two is S.H.I.E.L.D. using the cube to make weapons." He looked back at Tony. "Sorry, Stark. The computer was moving a little too slow for me."

Tony smiled in approval, but Fury did not look pleased. "Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're..."

"I'm sorry, Nick." Tony interrupted, and directed everyone's attention to the screen. It showed blueprints to a high tech weapon. "What were you lying?"

"I was wrong, director." Steve said, frowning. "The world hasn't changed a bit."

Soladat immediately turned towards Fury, looking shocked. "Nick, is this true?"

"Soladat, please…" Fury tried to explain, but Soladat just stopped him.

"You told me that work with the Tesseract was strictly for beneficial purposes," She said, glaring, "not to make weapons and machines of mass destruction!"

Agent Romanoff then entered the laboratory, but Bruce glared her. "Did you know about this?"

But Natasha was not in the mood for whatever it was that they were arguing about. Instead, she actually looked worried. "You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?"

Bruce laughed harshly. "I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you." Natasha argued.

"And you've been doing what exactly?"

Natasha glared. "You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes," Bruce bit harshly, "and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy."

Everyone watched as Bruce marched over to the monitor, pointing at it with a small wand-looking tool. "Now I wan't to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to make weapons of mass destruction."

Fury sighed, and then pointed to Darcy and Sif. "Because of them."

Sif glared. "Excuse me?"

"Us?" Darcy said, blinking in confusion. "What did we do?'

Fury put his hands behind his back. "Last year, Earth got caught up in an extraplanetary feud that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone in the universe, but we are hopelessly, and hilariously, outgunned."

The director then looked over at Hikesh. "And not only that, but we recently discovered the existence of a race of hostile robotic creatures that are waiting to destroy all life in the galaxy. The world is filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled."

Steve spoke up. "Like you controlled the cube?"

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies." Sif hissed. "It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?" Steve said, confused.

"The mutant is right." Hikesh said, and Sif again glared at the comment. "If anything, all humanity has really done is make their world a target."

"They forced our hand." Fury argued. "We had to come up with something."

"Like a nuclear deterrent." Stark interjected. "Cause that always calms everything down."

Fury sighed in annoyance. "Stark, remind me again how you made your fortune?"

"I sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep..." Captain America said harshly, glaring daggers at Stark.

Stark looked offended. "Wait! Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve retorted.

"I thought humans were more evolved then this." Sif said, frowning. Darcy glared at the Asgardian.

"Excuse me, but did we come to your planet and start blowing stuff up?"

"Hm… let me think. Yes!" Sif snarled at the girl. Suddenly, everybody in the room started arguing with each other. It was almost impossible to make out what was being said, as everyone was talking over each other. They were so caught up in their petty fueds that they didn't notice the scepter had started glowing.

ooooo

In the med bay, Carrie suddenly sat up, gasping heavily. Coulson looked over at her in surprise and immediately ran over to check up on her.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Carrie looked around wildly.

"What happened?" She said. "Where did they go?"

"Where did who go?" Coulson asked.

"The monsters!" Carrie said, almost hysterically. "I was in space, and there were creatures prowling around. They were hissing and shrieking! And there was this thing… like a man, but not really…"

Coulson frowned in confusion and quickly calmed Carrie down. "Hey, relax. Relax…"

Carrie's breathing slowed and she slowly calmed down. Once she stopped panicking, Coulson gently asked her, "Now, tell me exactly what you saw."

Carrie took a deep breath. "There was this man. But he wasn't totally human. His skin was all purple, and he started asking me all of these questions."

"What kind of questions?" Coulson asked, looking concerned.

"About stuff like the Tesseract, Loki, and the Earth." Carrie said. "When I didn't answer he… did something. I think he was reading my mind, but the way he did it, it hurt. It… it felt like something was ripping my head open from the inside."

Coulson's eyes widened in shock. Carrie continued talking. "It felt like it would go on forever, the pain. But eventually he stopped. And then he said he was done with me, and would leave me to my fate. Then I woke up here."

Coulson looked ready to say something, but then Carrie's eyes widened. "Oh my god… Barton!"

Coulson blinked. "What about Barton?"

"He's coming here!" She said. "He's gonna break Loki out!"

ooooo

Back in the lab, everyone was still arguing, although this time it was easier to make out what was being said. Sif was currently barking at Fury.

"… You speak of control, and yet you court chaos!"

Bruce interjected, shaking his head. "It's his M.O., isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're...we're a time-bomb."

Fury stepped towards Bruce, putting his hand up. "You need to step away."

But Tony came up to Bruce's defense, patting his shoulder. "Come on, Fury, why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam."

"Stark…" Soladat said warningly, but Steve pushed Tony away from Bruce, glaring.

"You know damn well why, now back off!"

Tony glared back at the super soldier. "You know I'm starting to want you to make me."

Steve just scoffed at the inventor, circling around him, studying him. "Yeah, big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?"

Tony turned around to face the captain again, looking smug. "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

Darcy smirked, finding the comment funny. Soladat and Natasha looked at each other and shrugged, since that was technically true.

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you." Steve hissed, glaring daggers at Stark, who he really wanted to punch right now. "I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

The whole time, Tony's normally passive face had become screwed up with anger. He bit back. "I think I would just cut the wire."

"Always a way out, right." Steve said, shaking his head. Then he glared back up at Stark. "You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero, like you?" Stark said, feigning humor. "You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle."

Steve glared and shoved Tony. "Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds."

The two looked over when Sif suddenly started laughing at them. "You mortals are so petty… and tiny."

"You are in no position to judge, mutant." Hikesh said, having been silent through the entire conversation. He was getting tired of the Asgardian's arrogance, and couldn't help but throw back his own rebuttal. Sif glared at the Prothean, fed up with the creature's mutant comments.

"If there is something you wish to discuss, _Prothean_, then let's hear it." Sif hissed. "After all, I have all eternity to listen."

Hikesh's four eyes glared menacingly at the Asgardian, and he marched up to her. "As a matter of fact there is."

"Xegh…" Soladat tried to say, but Hikesh didn't even seem to hear her.

"Your 'people' hold themselves in very high regard as I have seen." Hikesh said to the maiden. "You live off kings, you live for thousands of years, and yet you do not know yourselves still."

Sif eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Have you ever wondered how your world came to be, Sif?" Hikesh said. "Asgard could not possibly be a natural phenomenon, as an island floating in the void of space is meteorlogically impossible."

"Asgard is kept afloat by ancient magics." Sif hissed. "It has been around since the birth of the universe itself!"

Hikesh laughed. "So you think."

Everyone in the room looked at the Prothean in curiosity, and listened intently as he explained. "Fifty-thousand years ago, my people were masters of the galaxy. Our empire spanned across thousands of not millions of worlds. Then, one day, we came across the planet you humans now call Earth."

"Humanity was but primitive at the time. Your people lived in caves and fed off of berries and raw meat. Most of my people didn't see any value in your species, but a select few of us did." Hikesh said. "A team of our best scientists had been working on a secret research facility hidden near the center of the galaxy. It was an advanced Prothean construct that used top secret and highly advanced technology in order to stay stable in that region of space. My people called it Asgard."

Everyone in the room, mainly Darcy and Sif, bared looks of complete and utter shock at the Prothean's words.

"You're lying." Sif hissed, glaring. "You must be. Asgard has no beginning. My people would be able to remember if…"

"Your 'people' exist because of us!" Hikesh snarled. Sif shut up, but continued to glare. Hikesh went on. "As I said, Asgard was only known to a select few. It was meant to be research facility that housed the Prothean Empire's highly classified, and controversial, experiments. I knew of it because I had performed secret covert assignments such as deliveries. And that is how you all started."

Everyone listened intently. "Like I said before, some scientists saw value in humanity. Me and a few other agents were given the job to take a select group of human primitives from Earth and deliver them to the Asgard facility. There, the humans underwent extensive genetic rewrite and enhancements, giving them intelligence, speech, enhanced stamina, and prolonged lifespans. It was an attempt to create perfect biological weapons."

Hikesh sighed, looking down. "However, before the project could go any further, the Reapers appeared."

"You mean the race of immortal battleships waiting on the edge of space to wipe out all organic life?" Stark piped in. Everyone looked at him. "Personal records."

Ignoring Stark, Hikesh continued speaking. "When the Reapers attacked most of my people were scattered. I do not know what became of Asgard during the war but I had long assumed the scientists there would be killed. However, I see now that it did indeed survive, although my people did not prosper with it. Apparently, the mutants we bred had adapted to the technology on the station and used it to create their own society and culture. They transformed a technological Prothean marvel into an embodiment of pure fantasy."

"Wait," Darcy said, "so the Protheans created the Asgardians?"

"No." Sif hissed, glaring daggers at the Prothean. "This creature is spouting lies. There's no way that… he can't be telling the truth!"

"I do not expect you to believe me, woman." Hikesh said. "But I speak the facts."

"But wait." Darcy said. "What about the Bifrost? Is that a Prothean creation, too?"

Hikesh frowned, thinking, and then remembered. "The device you call Bifrost is based on the technology of the mass relays, Reaper devices that my people used to jump from one area of space to the next. The Prothean scientists in Asgard used it as a means of traveling to different worlds whose native species were involved in our experiments. Such as the Jotuns."

"So now you're saying that the Frost Giants were bred by your people as well?" Sif said incredulously. "Utter nonsense!"

Hikesh glared. "We did not create the Jotuns, mutant. We merely observed them and studied their barbarism."

"Do not call me that!" Sif yelled, and everyone stepped away from the Asgardian, who marched up to the Prothean, not caring that we was four inches taller than her. "I don't know who you think you are, but my people are not wretches that you dare claim to have experimented on like Warlragrs!"

"Like what?" Tony said, confused, but Sif ignored him. Hikesh shoved Sif away from him, and Sif attempted to shove him back, but a dark energy field was raised around his body, and Sif's hand bounced off the field, burning slightly.

"Do not even try to harm me." Hikesh said dangerously. "We created you, we studied you, we know your weaknesses. Despite all of your strengths and endowments, you are human, just like everyone else present."

Sif's eyes twitched in anger, and she looked so eager to kill the Prothean. From his position near the table, Bruce gave a harsh chuckle.

"Yeah, this is a team."

"Agent Romanoff," Fury said to the Black Widow, "would you please escort Dr. Banner back to his…"

"Where?" Bruce interrupted, looking at Fury with disgust. "You rented my room."

Fury tried his best to reassure the distraught scientist. "The cell was just…"

"In case you needed to kill me!" Bruce sneered. "Well you can't! I know, I've tried!"

Everyone in the room suddenly went silent. All attention was on Banner, with looks of horror, shock, and pity. Realizing what he just said, Banner sighed and lowered his head in shame.

"I got low, alright." He said. "I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in n my mouth and the other guy spit it out."

Soladat took a step towards Bruce. "Bruce…"

"Get away from me!" Bruce hissed, and Soladat retreated from him, looking somewhat scared.

Bruce turned his furious gaze to Director Fury, who took a step back. "I moved on, I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk."

When Bruce turned towards her, Natasha's face paled but otherwise remained unnerved. "You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?"

No one said anything. They all just stared at the frustrated scientist in suspicion. Bruce stepped back slightly when Captain America approached him. "Dr. Banner… Put down the scepter."

Bruce blinked in confusion, and then looked down and saw, in surprise, that he was gripping the scepter. He instantly put it down, scared at what he just did. No one else had a chance to say anything, because the computer screen on the table suddenly started showing a signal. They had finally located their target.

Bruce turned to the monitor and immediately attended to it. "Sorry kids," he said harshly, "you don't get to see my party trick after all."

"You found the cube?" Darcy said.

"I can get there faster!" Soladat said, her wings unfolding slightly. Tony looked at her bemusedly.

"You? I'm the one with the suit, sweetheart."

"Look, all of us…" Steve tried to say, but Sif, being the superbly arrogant bitch I keep depicting her as, interrupted him.

"The Tesseract belongs in Asgard. No human is a match for it."

"So technically you are no match for it, then." Hikesh said, smirking. Sif grit her teeth at the Prothean. Ignoring everyone else, Tony started to exit the lab, but Steve stopped him.

"You're not going alone."

"You gonna stop me?" Tony challenged, growing tired of the super soldier's tirade.

"Put on the suit, and let's find out." Steve challenged.

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit."

"WAIT!"

Everyone jumped and looked towards Soladat, who had a look of concentration. She seemed to be listening intently to something, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Then, her eyes widened in fear. Natasha frowned.

"What is it?"

Soladat looked at Natasha. "Barton."

Suddenly, the Helicarrier quaked as an explosion suddenly overtook the lab, trashing all of the scientific equipment and sending the occupants flying in different directions. Natasha and Bruce were blown out through a window overlooking the Helicarrier's sublevels, disappearing from sight. Sif and Hikesh were able to stand ground and remained standing, while Darcy, without the power of Mjolnir, was thrown through a window and into the hallway. Fury and Soladat were slammed against a wall while Steve and Tony were unharmed, as they were standing at safe distances. There was smoke and fire everywhere, and the trashed lab equipment sparked and sizzled from the damage.

"Put on the suit." Steve told Tony, who instantly nodded.

"Yep."

The two left the burning laboratory in a rush. Soladat stood up, grunting in pain, and helped Fury up to his feet.

"Is everyone alright?" Fury shouted over all the noise.

"No." The voice of Darcy said from the hallway.

"We are unharmed." Hikesh said, referring to him and Sif. Soladat looked around in worry.

"Where's Natasha? And Dr. Banner?"

Fury's eye widened and he immediately took out his walkie-talkie. "Agent Romanoff? Agent Romanoff, do you copy?"

ooooo

In the sublevel below the laboratory, Natasha hissed in pain as he tried to wrench her leg free from a pile of debris. She looked over to see Bruce lying face down on the ground, groaning in pain. Hearing the static from her walkie-talkie, Natasha paged Fury.

"This is Romanoff. We're okay." She assured her superior. Then she glanced over at Bruce. He was grunting and clenching his fists, a sign of the worst in Natasha's eyes. Her fearless face fell at that moment and bared a look of alarm.

"We're okay right?"

**And we'll stop there. I tried to take a break, I really did. But I'm so intent on writing this I couldn't stay away, so sew me. So wow, things have gotten bad pretty fast. Next chapter… well I think you can guess how things will be lol.**

**So yes, the Protheans created Asgard, the Bifrost, and the Asgardians. More of that will be explained later on. It was an idea I had when I first started writing this fic. And about the whole Carrie thing, I figured the Chitauri had been contacting Loki through the scepter via telepathy, since Loki has been shown to have some extra sensory abilities. Since Carrie is a powerful telepath herself, she herself was able to respond to the scepter when the Chitauri were trying to contact Loki again.**

**Hope you liked this chapter. Review pleaz and hav a nice day.**


	18. Phase One: Carrier Battle

**Chapter 18 – Carrier Battle**

As everyone quickly left the ruined lab, Darcy grunted and pulled herself up from the floor. Thinking fast, she reached her hand out, calling for her old friend.

After a few moments, something broke through the wall nearby and flew perfectly into her hand.

Gripping down on Mjolnir, Darcy was consumed in a flash of light and electricity. Once it subsided, Darcy was now Thordis, and quickly rushed off to help the others.

But before she could, Mjolnir pulsated with light, and a voice that Darcy hadn't heard in over a year suddenly spoke in her thoughts.

_Find Loki!_

Obeying the voice, Darcy quickly raced towards the detention area.

ooooo

Tony and Steve quickly rushed to the cargo levels. As they passed several panicky agents and technicians, Tony quickly faced Steve.

"Engine three. I'll meet you there."

Steve nodded and left Tony, who approached a sealed cargo compartment. Taking out a small remote, Tony pressed a button and the compartment opened, revealing his Mark VI armor, still bearing some battle damage from the fight with Sif.

Tony smirked as the suit's eyes lit up.

ooooo

Coulson and Carrie quickly scrambled out of the medical bay, confused as several agents were running around wildly. Taking out his walkie-talkie, Coulson contacted Fury.

"Boss what's happening?"

"We have boarders. All armed and dangerous. Barton is with them."

"Shit…" Coulson muttered. He quickly turned to Carrie. "Go to your quarters and stay there, got it?"

"What?" Carrie said, confused. "But I want to help!"

"I know." Coulson told her. "But your just a kid. I'd never forgive myself if something bad happened to you.

"But…"

"Carrie, go." Coulson said sternly. Carrie watched as he left, sighing in frustration.

ooooo

Natasha struggled against the rubble pinning her leg down, and started to panic when she saw Bruce himself was struggling and trying to keep in his… condition. He grunted and gripped his head in pain, and Natasha could see his veins throbbing.

"Doctor?" Natasha tried. "Bruce?"

At the sound of Natasha's voice, Bruce calmed slightly, but was still panting, the transformation getting too powerful for him to contain.

Natasha tried to sound gentle, something she was never to great at. "You've got to fight it. This is just what Loki wants!"

Two technicians came into the room, looking at Natasha worriedly. "Ma'am? Are you hurt?"

Natasha glared at the two and waved her hand angrily, telling them to get out. They quickly scurried out of the room. Bruce grunted in discomfort, and Natasha could see his muscles contorting slightly.

"Bruce, listen to me. We're gonna be okay, alright. I swear on my life I will get you out of this, you will walk away, and never..."

Suddenly, Bruce whipped his head towards her, and he spoke with a loud, booming voice unlike his own. "Your life?!"

Natasha yelped and shrunk back in fear as Bruce stood up, gripping his head. As she desperately tried to pull her leg free, Bruce's muscles started to grow and his skin pigments started to change as well. He fell to his knees and rolled over to the far side of the room, howling. His body started to grow to the point where his shirt and pants started to ear, and his feet exploded out of his shoes. He turned to Natasha, giving her one last knowing look. Natasha's face paled as his blue eyes turned a bright green.

"Bruce…"

Bruce grunted and flexed his torso, and what was left of his shirt was ripped off. Getting up to his feet, Bruce sauntered over to a gas heater and beat his fist against it, howling. A white mist sprayed out of the ruptured tank, and Natasha finally managed to pull her leg free and get up. She looked at Bruce warily, and she felt her stomach clenched in fear as the Hulk slowly turned its head toward her. It's body shook in rage and his face screwed up into a frightening snarl.

Natasha did the only thing she could think of. Run.

The Hulk grunted as it raced after her, and Natasha quickly climbed up a row of steps. The Hulk swiped its hand out to grab her, but she quickly jumped up to a nearby ledge, gripping the railing and flipping over onto a catwalk. The Hulk instead swiped the stars away, and roared in anger as the Widow fled.

Racing across the catwalk, the Widow nearly fell through the floor as the Hulk yanked a grating out from under her. Luckily, she swiftly leapt forward and down a shaft leading to the Helicarrier's pipeline. Not looking back, Natasha quickly crawled through the narrow pipeline as the Hulk let out an enraged howl that echoed throughout the ship.

ooooo

Nick and Soladat quickly rushed to the bridge, and found the entire room in chaos. The BridgeTechs were desperately trying to retain altitude. Instinctively, Fury started spouting out orders.

"Bring the carrier to a one eight zero heading south!" He shouted. "Take us to the water!"

One BridgeTech stood up, facing Fury with a disbelieving look. "We're flying blind, sir. We're still recalibrating after the engine failure."

Fury glared at the agent. "Is the sun coming up?"

The agent gulped nervously. "Y-yes, sir."

"Then put it on the left!" Fury shouted. "Get us over water! One more turbine goes down and we drop."

"Fury? Fury do you copy?"

Fury blinked and quickly took out his walkie-talkie. "What is it captain?"

"Me and Stark are at the third engine and making repairs, but we've got multiple hostiles pinning us down!"

"Damnit." Fury said and quickly turned towards Soladat. "Archangel, get to the third engine and help Stark and Rogers, asap!"

Soladat nodded. "Right."

Soladat raced out of the bridge, and Fury redirected his attention to keeping the ship stable. During all the confusion, one thought suddenly entered Fury's mind. Where the hell was Voyant? During all the craziness, the woman hadn't been seen or heard from.

Did she abandon them?

ooooo

Gun in hand, Natasha quietly and carefully navigated through the dark corridors of the sublevels. Sweating in nervousness, Natasha walked past a large heat conductor, when she hear a small trace of movement. She glanced at the direction of the noise, and jumped when the Hulk suddenly sprang up from behind the conductor, roaring loudly.

Natasha quickly raised her gun and shot at the gas pipe above the Hulk. A white mist sprayed out and blinded the Hulk, who waved his head around in frustration. Natasha ran away and through a number of electrical conductors, glancing back to see if the Hulk was there.

Her eyes widened when she saw the Hulk turn around the corner and race at her at inhuman speeds, plowing through all of the electrical conductors, sending sparks and pieces of rubble flying in every direction.

Natasha covered her eyes as sparks flew in front of her face and singed her cheeks. She kept running, but stumbled slightly as a quake from one of the Hulk's footsteps nearly knocked her off balance. Before she could regain composure, she felt a large fist strike her side and send her flying into a nearby wall. She hit the wall with a thud and then fell down to the ground, clenching her side in pain.

Natasha breathed in fear as the Hulk approached her slowly, snarling. Natasha closed her eyes when the Hulk lifted its hand, preparing to deliver a very hard backhand.

But it never came.

Something jumped at the Hulk and plowed him through the wall. They landed right in the middle of a hanger, where several pilots and agents scrambled away from the pair in surprise.

Natasha breathed heavily, shocked and relieved that she was still alive.

The Hulk grunted as he stood up to face his attacker, and was surprised to see a beautiful woman with black hair and a medieval-like gettup.

Wielding her sword and shield, Sif watched the Hulk move around her menacingly, growling at her. He swung a fist at her, which she narrowly ducked and then swung the blade of her weapon. The Hulk let out a scream of pain as the blade actually slashed through his normally impenetrable skin, and dark blood oozed from the cut.

The Hulk touched the wound and nearly exploded with rage when it saw the blood. Glaring down the Asgardian maiden, the Hulk raised his gigantic arm up and brought it down on Sif. Sif quickly raised her shield up, and jerked slightly when the force of the strike nearly drove her into the ground. Sif grunted as she tried to push the Hulk away.

"Stand down, ogre!" Sif hissed. "We are not your enemies!"

Sif slowly pushed herself up, but inadvertently left herself open to a fist. The punch struck her right in the face and sent her sailing away from the Hulk, through a number of canisters, walls, and jets, with the friction of her sliding against the ground finally slowing her down.

Beating his fists together, the Hulk roared over at Sif and slowly approached her. Suddenly, the Hulk saw movement in the corner of his eye, and ducked just in time to avoid a plane that had been flying in his direction. The jet collided with a second plane, and both aircrafts exploded. The Hulk growled and turned towards the direction of the attack, and cocked his head in confusion.

Standing there was a young girl with shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes, clad in a white long-sleeved shirt with gray stripes and jeans.

Carrie backed away slowly as the green muscle-bound brute approached her, growling. Looking down at the Hulk's feet, Carrie saw him walking over a number of downed electrical cables.

Feeling the cables with her mind, Carrie manipulated the wires, commanding them to wrap around the Hulk like a snake.

The Hulk looked down in confusion as the cables seemed to just come alive and ensnare him. They wrapped up around his body and tightened, and the Hulk howled angrily as he struggled against them.

Seeing that the Hulk was beginning to break free of his restraints, Carrie looked over at a large crate. Blinking her eyes, Carrie made the crate levitate from its position and fly directly at the Hulk. The Hulk doubled over as the crate smashed against the back of his head. One stray cable straighten out below him and he tripped over, falling flat on his face.

The Hulk howled and roared in fury as he ripped free from the cables. Facing Carrie with a murderous gaze, the Hulk roared, and Carrie yelped and ran.

Carrie ducked beneath several airplane wings and supply crates while the Hulk just barreled through them. The Hulk attempted to squash the puny human with his fist, but she leapt away and the fist hit the ground, causing the floor to cave in slightly. Spotting an open floor grating, Carrie crawled inside the tight space, and barely avoided the Hulk's grip as he failed to reach in and grab her.

Carrie crawled beneath the floor, trying to move away from the Hulk, but the beast's enhanced hearing was able to pick up on the girl's movements. Carrie screamed as a fist smashed through the ground only a few inches from her face. She turned quickly away from it, but another fist smashed right next to her. She attempted to wriggle away from the green hand as it felt around for her, but the Hulk located her arm and grabbed her.

Screaming, Carrie kicked as the Hulk attempted to pull her free. She beat the fist with her free hand, but this, of course, had little effect.

Looking up from her position, Carrie looked at the Hulk in the eyes. The green orbs glared back at her, and Carrie saw nothing but rage and fury that could not be quenched.

Seeing no other alternative, Carrie reached out with her mind. She scanned the monster's brain, and in an act of desperation, she prodded. Painfully.

The Hulk released the girl and gripped his head, howling in pain. Screaming, the Hulk fell down on his knees, gripping his head as the foreign presence overwhelmed his senses. He didn't even see the Asgardian woman leaping in from behind, sword raised.

The Hulk gripped his shoulder as the sword impaled through the back and came out the front. Sif landed a few feet in front of him, and looked up at the Hulk, smirking. The Hulk gripped the sword's hilt, and stumbled backwards, landing on a jet plane, which crumbled beneath his weight. He wrenched the blade free from his shoulder, grunting slightly from the pain, and glared back down at Sif, shaking with rage.

Tossing the sword aside, the Hulk ripped a wing off of the plane and hurled it at Sif, who ducked Matrix-style, and the wing slid past Carrie, who watched the spectacle with amazement.

Sif closed in on the Hulk, dodging a strike and then delivering a swift uppercut that caused the Hulk's head to jerk back. Looking down, Sif pulled her leg back and then swung a hard kick in between the Hulk's legs.

The Hulk howled in pain and gripped his crotch, faltering slightly. Sif looked smug for a moment, but only for about two seconds before she gave a yelp of pain and rubbed her leg.

Regaining his composure, the Hulk snarled down at the Asgardian and delivered a kick that sent her sliding across the ground. Noticing her sword, Sif quickly picked it up and rushed back at the Hulk. She swiftly moved to the side to avoid a punch and then drove the sword up through the Hulk's arm. The Hulk howled with pain and gripped Sif's head, yanking her and the sword away from his arm. He lifted her up and then plowed her into the ground, and the entire floor caved in.

Sif was able to swing the sword against his chest, slashing it. The Hulk backed away, grunting, and Sif sprung up to her feet, swinging the sword up and delivering an up-slash against his chest. The Hulk howled and gripped his chest, and Sif made an agile jump over the Hulk's shoulder and delivered a second slash.

Gritting his teeth from the pain, the Hulk spun around to face Sif, and before she could even react, the Hulk clapped his hands together, creating a huge shockwave. Sif screamed as the shockwave pushed her away from the Hulk and right into the wall.

The wall broke slightly from the impact, and Sif fell down face first. She groaned in pain as she tried to pull herself up, but something grabbed her by the throat and pulled her up. Now face to face with the Hulk, Sif glared into the beast's angry gaze, refusing to be intimidated.

She coughed and wheezed as the grip around her throat tightened, and the Hulk growled at her. Her warrior's pride getting the best of her, Sif spat in the Hulk's eye, and the Hulk grunted as he shook his head.

Snarling back at the Asgardian, the Hulk brought his free fist back, and then plowed it right into Sif's torso. Sif wheezed and grunted as the Hulk repeated the assault again and again and again and again. Then, the Hulk brought his fist back farther, and the next punch was extra hard. Blood flew from Sif's mouth and hit the Hulk in the face, but he didn't even seem to mind.

Satisfied, the Hulk plowed Sif into the ground, and roared at her in victory.

Sif was now barely conscious. She had not been this physically wounded since her bout with Darcy one year ago. She watched helplessly as the Hulk loomed over her.

Studying his fallen opponent, a piece of Bruce Banner seemed to surface as the Hulk looked down at the woman in horror, realizing what he had just done. But at the last second, the Hulk persona resurfaced, and the Hulk snarled in fury and then raised his fist, beating it down against Sif's face.

Sif was knocked out instantly.

ooooo

With the Hulk preoccupied with Sif, Carrie slowly and carefully pulled herself free from her hiding place. Suddenly, a hand gripped her shoulder, and Carrie yelped and thrashed about.

"Get away!" She screamed, and the hand let go as she slapped it away.

"Relax!" A familiar voice said. Carrie blinked and looked up to see Xegh Hikesh standing there. He shook his head at her. "You should not have tried to go against Bruce Banner in his current state. You are lucky to be alive."

Carrie took an offered hand and was pulled up to her feet. "I'm sorry… I wanted to help…"

"It is not important now." The Prothean said. "You must find refuge and get away from the chaos."

"But…"

"Do as I say!" Hikesh yelled, and Carrie quickly nodded. Hikesh slowly turned to the direction of where the Hulk was beating Sif. "I will contest Banner."

Carrie blinked. "You? What are you going to do?"

Hikesh took a deep breath. "Something I have not done for a long time."

Carrie watched as Hikesh removed his red, shell-like armor, leaving him in only a sleeveless black jumpsuit. Putting his hands together, Hikesh closed his eyes and breathed, and Carrie stepped back as the dark energy field appeared around him. Then, he put his hands back, and started screaming as the green aura intensified, and Carrie was actually blown back on her rear from the intense energy.

To Carrie's shock and horror, the Prothean's body began to change. He actually seemed to grow a few feet taller, and his muscles pulsed and bulked up. Veins were surging up around his body. The jumpsuit was stretchy and didn't tear from the growth. It wasn't over yet though. Hikesh's head elongated into a strange tapering-shape while his mouth was elongated as well. His teeth elongated and sharpened, and his shoulders sprouted two large shoulderpads. To top it all off, a pair of insect wings sprouted out of his back and fluttered slightly.

His green aura faded away, and the creature that was Xegh Hikesh let out a loud sibilant roar that rivaled the Hulk's.

Carrie, doing the only thing she could think of, let out a loud, bloodcurdling scream that echoed throughout the Helicarrier.

ooooo

Darcy navigated through the Helicarrier and finally came across the corridor leading to Loki's detention cell. Upon entering, she saw an armed man opening the cell, and Loki was stepping out of it.

"Loki!"

Loki looked up with wide eyes as Darcy raced at him. He braced himself for the impact, but instead of slamming into him, Darcy passed right through him and let out an oomf as she entered the glass cell and slammed against the side. She fell back on her butt, and quickly got up to see Loki shimmering away.

Looking around, she saw the real Loki standing by the control panel. Smirking, he flipped a switch and the cell closed, trapping Darcy inside.

Darcy glared at Loki. "Not funny."

"It's kind of funny." Loki said, smirking.

Darcy wasn't amused. "Let me out. Now."

Loki chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. We both know what you're capable of with _that_." He motioned towards Mjolnir.

Glaring, Darcy beat Mjolnir against the glass. One strike caused the glass to crack, and Loki stepped back in surprise. Darcy struck the glass again, and the cracks grew wider.

"For the love of Odin, stop!" Loki shouted, and Darcy stopped, but was still glaring at the god of lies.

"Now you're telling me to stop?" Darcy said incredulously. "You're the one who should stop! Why can't you just leave my planet alone?"

Loki frowned. "Why do you insist on defending these lowly creatures? You yourself are above them. If anything you should be ruling them!"

"Me?" Darcy said. "I happen to be a human myself, genius."

"Are you really?" Loki sneered. "You have evolved, Darcy Lewis. With Mjolnir in your hands you have become a goddess! You and I could work together and take this world for ourselves!"

Darcy glared suspiciously. "Why the sudden offer? Last I checked you wanted to kill me."

Loki glared, and then sighed. He turned away from Darcy. "There has been much turmoil in me after what happened in Asgard. When you first picked up Mjolnir, I hated you, as I had spent centuries living in the shadow of my brother, and I wasn't about to spend another eternity in the shadow of a mortal. And to this day, I still hate you. I hate you for crawling in my head as he did, for overshadowing me in strength and power."

Loki slowly turned to face Darcy, and she was surprised to see that his expression had softened.

"I hate you because you are beautiful to me." Loki said, and Darcy's eyes widened in shock. "I find myself longing for you. Every waking day, my urge to see you weakens me. I thirst, I hunger, and it cannot be quenched so easily. You have affected me in ways no one has ever done."

Darcy just stared at the Asgardian/Jotun in shock. "What do you want from me?"

Loki stepped up to the glass. "I want you to join me! Together we can take this world for ourselves. You'd be a queen, live in wealth and power for all eternity!"

Darcy studied the Asgardian and thought over the offer. She closed her eyes, sighed, and shook her head.

"No."

Loki blinked. "No?"

"That's right." Darcy said, glaring. "No. I'm not like you, Loki. I don't want to rule and I don't want to hurt anyone either. Your dad gave me this hammer so I could protect the world from threats like you, and I plan to fulfill that goal. I won't betray my promise to enslave humanity. Not for anything."

Her eyes narrowed. "Not even for you."

Loki looked at her without expression. He sighed. "I see."

He slowly turned around and walked over to the control panel. "I had hoped it would not come to this, but I see you insist on maintaining this foolish bravado."

Darcy's eyes widened when Loki put his hand on a switch, and he looked at Darcy sadly. "I regret this, yes, but you have left me no choice. Farewell, Darcy Lewis."

Before he could flip the switch, the sound of a man grunting in pain directed the pair's attention to the left. Loki blinked when he saw the agent that had freed him was now lying on the ground unconscious, and Agent Coulson was standing over him with a strange looking weapon in his hand.

"Step away please."

Carefully, Loki put his hands up and backed away from the console. Darcy smiled in relief. Seeing that Loki was studying the weapon, Coulson smirked.

"You like this?" He asked. "We collected tissue samples from Gangr after you sent him to Earth last year. Figured out how to harness the energy. Hasn't been tested yet though. Why don't we just test it out right here and now?"

Coulson held down the trigger, and blue icy energy started to charge in the gun's holster. Loki stood there, unnerved and didn't even try to run. Releasing the trigger, Coulson fired a blast of icy blue energy. The blast struck Loki square in the chest, and while the force of the blast caused him to stagger slightly, it didn't seem to have any real effect on the mischief god.

Coulson's eyes widened in shock as Loki seemed to actually be absorbing the ice. The god smiled evilly as his skin suddenly turned blue and his eyes blood red. Darcy paled, recognizing the form all too well. Coulson stopped firing the gun, and looked in horror as Loki absorbed the icy energies into his body. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, and the blue skin slowly faded as his skin returned to its original hue. He blinked, and his eyes slowly changed back to normal.

He smirked at Coulson. "Is that it?"

Coulson started to back away, but Loki was enveloped in a flash of gold and suddenly materialized in front of Coulson. Coulson didn't even have time to react when Loki jerked the scepter forward and impaled it through his stomach. The blade came out his back, and Coulson grunted in pain.

"Coulson!" Darcy gasped, putting her hand up against the glass.

Loki looked at the agent in the eyes, smiling, and with a jerk of his scepter, a blast of blue energy blasted Coulson away from the scepter, and also left a large bloody burned hole in his torso. Coulson slammed against the wall and fall down on his side, gripping his wound. He was coughing and wheezing in pain, and blood seeped from his mouth and wound, staining the polished floor. His gun was discarded on the floor, and Loki put his foot on it and crushed it with ease.

Loki scoffed at the agent, and then turned back to Darcy. "Mortals. I keep telling you that they are a nuisance."

Darcy was still looking at Coulson in shock and horror, and then turned her gaze to Loki, and she looked quite pissed off. "You didn't have to do that!"

"I know." Loki shrugged, and then smiled. "Force of habit."

"You bastard!" Darcy yelled, and started beating against the glass again. Loki just looked at her sadly, and turned back to the terminal. He rested his hand on the switch, flipped it, and the hatch beneath the cell opened. Wind blew through the room, and Darcy looked down at the open hatch with wide eyes.

She looked back at Loki, and her eyes were almost pleading for him not to push the button. But sadly, that was not to be.

"Now, for the final time." Loki said. "Goodbye, Darcy Lewis."

Loki pressed the button, and Darcy yelped as the cell was dropped down through the hatch, and plummeted from the Helicarrier.

Loki watched the cell fall in silence, and sighed. He flipped the switch, and the hatch closed. Slowly, Loki started to make his way out of the room, when a wounded voice caught his attention.

"*Cough* You…"

Loki looked back at Coulson, and was surprised at how well the agent was holding onto life. The mortal was stronger than he thought.

Coulson glared. "You're *cough*. You're gonna lose..."

Loki smirked. "Am I?"

"It's in your nature."

Loki scoffed, and marched towards the fallen agent. "You're heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?"

"Standing right behind you."

Loki blinked at the new voice and turned around to see who it was that spoke just now. But as soon as he turned around, he was suddenly backhanded right in the nose. Loki gripped his face in pain, shocked at the amount of force behind the attack. Before he could see who it was, another hand struck him right in the stomach, and the added force sent Loki sailing through the air, past a surprised Coulson, and against a wall.

Coulson looked at where Loki had flown in shock, and then looked over to see Claire Voyant standing there, smirking evilly.

Loki grunted, gripping his face, and pulled himself up. He blinked at the woman who struck him, as he did not recall seeing her before. Nevertheless, he glared at the foolish maiden. He would not let a mere mortal impose him in such a manor.

However, this was no mere mortal.

"Now," Claire smirked at him, and took a step forward, "let's see if you can dance as good as you can kill."

**There's chapter eighteen. Probably the longest chapter I've written for this story so far. Next chapter, Hikesh fights the Hulk and Claire Voyant fights Loki.**

**Now, I gave Hikesh a new form that would give him a better advantage in hand to hand combat. The form kind of looks like the Collectors from **_**Mass Effect 2**_**, except not a zombie-like. More will be explained on it later. And also, I know not many people seem to like Claire Voyant, and that's okay, cuz I'm not really planning on her being a heroic character. In fact she's like the total opposite of a heroic character.**

**Review pleaz. Til next time.**


	19. Phase One: Man Down

**Chapter 19 – Man Down**

The Hulk blinked out the sound of a hiss-like roar, and a high pitched scream that followed. Moving away from the unconscious Sif, the Hulk looked in the direction of the noise, grunting in annoyance and confusion. That's when he saw it.

A giant… bug clad in a tight black bodysuit and enveloped in a glowing green aura of energy. It raced at him, screaming, and the Hulk barely even had time to register it's presence, the creature rammed its knee right into the Hulk's gut. The Hulk actually doubled over in pain, and shock.

That hurt… This creature actually hurt him!

Snarling in rage, the Hulk attempted to deliver a punch, but the creature's green aura flared and the Hulk hissed as his fist was singed by the aura.

Removing its knee from the Hulk's abdomen, the creature smacked the Hulk to the ground where he skidded several feet away and into a plane. Relentless, the creature continued to go after the Hulk and delivered a kick to his face. His aura flared as he preformed the kick and the Hulk's bulky form was actually sent a few feet into the air.

The creature grabbed the Hulk's ankle, digging its sharp claws into its skin. Dark blood seeped from the claw marks. The creature slammed the Hulk down on the ground, creating a perfect indenture of the Hulk's form in the floor of the Helicarrier.

The creature hissed as it marched towards the Hulk, but blinked when it heard a horrified gasp. Looking to the left, the creature saw Sif was now awake, yet brutally beaten and clearly in no condition to fight. She was looking at the creature in shock.

"H-Hikesh?" Sif guessed, still wide-eyed. How did the Prothean achieve this power? And how was it that he was able to beat the Hulk with ease after he beat her so badly?

The creature, Hikesh, gave a smirk, flashing his sharp teeth. He spoke, and his voice was much lower than before, and rumbled slightly. "Oh, I'm the strangest thing you've seen all day?"

"But… how did…"

"When there is a time where we are not battling enraged mutated brutes, I will explain." Hikesh replied. "But for the time being, you must flee. You are in no condition to fight."

Sif glared. "I will not let my honor be broken by this beast!"

"There is more at stake here than your honor!" Hikesh said, frowning. "You will fight again, just not now. Now flee!"

Sif glared, and begrudgingly stood up, hissing from the pain from the Hulk's beating. She grabbed her sword and shield and quickly sauntered away.

Hikesh watched her leave, and then returned his gaze to the Hulk, and saw that he was starting to rise. His aura flaring once again, Hikesh grabbed the Hulk's head by both sides witb both of his clawed hands, and began to viciously smash their heads together. The Hulk's head was throbbing in pain with each strike, and he started to feel dizzy. Hikesh didn't relent, and continued to hammer their heads together in a violent display of dominance.

Finally stopping the assault, Hikesh spun the Hulk around by the head and eventually led go. While he was flying through the air, Hikesh gave a grunt as he pulled his hand back and unleashed a green energy wave that struck the Hulk right in the gut. The concussive force behind the blast caused the Hulk to cough up some blood, and also accelerated his descent and he crashed right through a wall. The women's restroom to be exact.

Female agents screamed and scurried out of the room as the Hulk smashed through the wall and into one of the stalls. Getting up, the Hulk wobbled, dizzy and his body throbbing in pain. Shaking his head, the Hulk looked up to see Hikesh standing in the hole in the wall, glaring down at him.

His body shaking with rage, the Hulk snarled and roared, and charged at the empowered Prothean. Glaring, Hikesh' aura returned and he charged as well.

They collided, and a shockwave created by their collision echoed through the Helicarrier. Their bodies became a tangle of limbs as they began to exchange blows. Eventually they broke apart, and the Hulk was panting, growing tired from their exchange. Hikesh glanced at a nearby commode. He grabbed it, and actually tore it out of the floor, and water spewed out of the broken pipe underneath. He lifted it up and smashed it over the Hulk's head.

The Hulk grunted as the toilet broke over his head and his eyes blinked as he wobbled around, dizzy. He eventually fell over onto a stall, which crumbled beneath his weight.

But Hikesh wasn't done yet.

Zipping forward, Hikesh drove his foot into the Hulk's gut, knocking the air out of him. Before he could be given a chance to breath, Hikesh grabbed the Hulk by the hair and pulled him up to his feet, getting a few cries of pain from the beast. Hikesh began to slap the Hulk with great force across the face. Normally, someone's neck would snap from the Prothean's assault, but this was a different case.

Nevertheless, Hikesh let go of the Hulk's hair and delivered a powerful dark energy blast right to the Hulk's face that sent him flying back through the wall and into a different part of the hanger. By then, everyone had left the floor, eager to escape the carnage. Racing off after his opponent, Hikesh leapt at him and grabbed him by the waist. The two flew into another plane, the Hulk hitting first, and it exploded beneath their weight.

Debris flew in everywhere as a shockwave from the collision swept in every direction. When the debris cleared, Hikesh was seen standing over the Hulk, who looked like he was ready to pass out. Hikesh glared down at the beast, breathing heavily.

"Are we finished, Banner?" He said.

In response, a green fist suddenly shot up and struck Hikesh in the face. Hikesh flew back several meters before crashing into a pile of crates. Hikesh pulled himself up, shook his head, and looked at the Hulk.

The Hulk, while injured and bruised, was still up and breathing. His eyes were bloodshot with rage and he looked super pissed. He let out a loud, enraged yell, and charged at the Prothean.

Hikesh blinked in horror. While he did manage to inflict some serious damage on the Hulk, he only succeeded in doing what any person would do while fighting the Hulk.

He made the Hulk angry.

ooooo

Back on the bridge, Nick looked up to see Soladat reenter the bridge. He looked at her expenctently.

"All hostiles on engine three have been taken care of." She informed. "Stark and Rogers shouldn't have any trouble in their repairs now."

Fury nodded. "Good."

He turned towards Agent Hill. "Hill, we need full evac on the lower hanger bay."

Hill nodded, and marched up from her seat and past Fury and Soladat. But as she got closer to the door, something slid through and in front of her. Hill's eyes widened as it started beeping and she quickly leapt for cover.

"Grenade!"

The grenade exploded, and only one unfortunate agent was caught in the blast while Hill quickly leapt over the railing and down into the BridgeTech area. Fury took cover behind his terminals, while Soladat drew her 7.62x51mm NATO caliber, and ducked behind a terminal. Then, a group of armed men in S.H.I.E.L.D. gear entered the bridge, pointing guns in every direction in search of targets.

Taking a shot, Soladat hit one of the men right in the skull, and the other men jumped in surprise when their comrade slumped to the floor, dead. Spotting Soladat, the other agents instantly started firing, but Soladat unfolded her wings and soared over at them. The bullets bounced off of the vibranium alloy in her wings, and she folded then up as she landed in between two agents.

Once she landed, she spread her wings out and they struck the two agents, sending them flying in opposite direction. One of the men tried to beat her with the blunt end of his gun, but Soladat grabbed his gun and turned it towards him. She pulled the trigger and the man was shot right in the throat, and he fell over, dead. One man prepared to shoot but Soladat moved over to him and nailed his head with the barrel of her rifle. While he was down, Soladat shot him dead. She didn't even turn to face the agent behind her. She just pointed her gun in his direction and shot. He was dead.

Fury pulled himself up. "Good work, Archangel."

"No problem." Soladat said, smirking. "I love my job."

Suddenly, more gunshots verberated through the bridge, and Soladat, Fury, and Hill ducked in cover to avoid the shots. They occasionally came out from their hiding spots briefly to make a few shots of their own, Soladat having the most successful hits.

As they were fighting, an agent's voice came in over the loudspeaker. "We have the Hulk and the Prothean on research level four, levels two and three evacuate immediately!"

Hill turned towards Fury. "Sir, the Hulk will tear this place apart!"

"Then get his attention!" Fury responded, and then took a clean shot to a hostile's head.

Hill nodded and spoke into her com. "Escort 60, to wish bound and engage hostile! Don't get to close!"

The voice of a pilot came in. "Copy that!"

Suddenly, an arrow flew past Hill's face, causing her to jump back in surprise. It was about to hook up to one of the terminals, but with great precission, Soladat shot it out of the air. She looked up to the source of the arrow, and glared when she saw Agent Barton, who quickly fled from the bridge.

Fury scowled, and spoke into his com. "It's Barton! He's headed for the detention lab. Does anybody copy?"

There was a brief moment of silence, before a shaken, yet stable voice came in. "This is Agent Romanoff. I copy."

ooooo

Hikesh and the Hulk broke in through the floor and into a laboratory. Hikesh flew over on his back, tired, and his aura flickering. He could not keep up his transformation for long.

Suddenly, he was pulled up by his shoulders and thrown into a terminal, which sparked and crumbled beneath his weight. The Hulk roared and pushed a small crate to the side as he marched toward the Prothean. He didn't notice the fighter jet positioning itself just outside the viewing port.

"Target engaged." The pilot reported.

The pilot pulled a trigger and the jet started to fire its ammunition at the Hulk. The Hulk grunted in annoyance as the bullets just bounced off his flesh, and he turned around to face the idiotic attacker. Hikesh quickly raised a dark energy field to protect himself from the bullets, and watched as the Hulk roared at the jet in rage and quickly raced towards it.

The pilot's eyes widened in horror. "Target angry, target angry!"

The Hulk leapt out of the viewing port and towards the jet. Hikesh, eyes widened, quickly raced after him. When Hikesh reached the edge of the viewport, he fired an energy blast at the ground below his feet, and the prepulsion sent him rocketing after the Hulk.

The Hulk was just a few mere inches from the jet, but before he could reach it, something grabbed onto his waste. He looked down to see Hikesh gripping him tightly. The Hulk grunted in horror as he and the Prothean started falling out of the sky. As the image of the Helicarrier grew smaller, the Hulk started to beat against the Prothean's head.

Hikesh's vision grew blurry, and he eventually released his grip, and his aura faded. The Hulk grunted as the two separated, but couldn't stop his rapid descent.

The fighter pilot looked down as the two disappeared from sight. Shocked, he quickly paged Agent Hill.

"The target has disappeared." He said. "So has the alien."

ooooo

Loki glared down the woman before him. He studied her, and scoffed at her garb. She lacked armor or the necessary protection to withstand his great strength. Plus, she was mortal! Yet she dare have to strength to actually knock him off his feet?

"You're going to regret doing that, mortal." Loki hissed. Claire just smirked.

"I am no mortal."

Claire suddenly jumped up and vanished in a cloud of smoke. Loki blinked when Claire suddenly appeared in front of him in another smoke cloud, and she delivered a swift kick to his face that caused him to jerk back. Loki grunted in pain as he turned his head around and his neck popped as a result.

He gripped his neck, and glared daggers at the blonde woman. He drove the scepter forward, intending to impale her face, but she just casually moved her head to the side. She gribbed the scepter and jerked it at him, and the blunt end struck him in the face. Loki grunted, but didn't have time to move away as Claire locked the fingers on her right hand and slammed it knifelike through Loki's armored chest plating. The armor actually shattered as Claire's hand penetrated it, and Loki backed away in shock.

He looked up at Claire. "How did you do that?"

"I know your every week point, Jotun." Claire smirked, and Loki's eyes widened in shock.

"How do you…?"

"How do I… what?" She said. "How do I know that your daddy dearest took you in after your real father left you to die? Or how you lived a thousand years jealous of your big brother?"

Loki's eyes twitched in rage. Claire smirked and continued. "Is that what all this is about? You trying to prove to mommy and daddy that you're the good son? It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic."

"Shut up!" Loki snarled and leapt at Claire. He tried to strike her with the scepter, but Claire just summersaulted out of the way and away from him. Loki turned to her and attempted to drive the spear down to impale her, but Claire grabbed the scepter and drover her heel up into Loki's crotch. Loki doubled over in pain, but Claire grabbed the back of his neck and flipped herself over on top of him. Her weight pushed him down on his knees, and she drove him down further by driving her heel onto the back of his head.

She got off of him, and then grabbed his head and through him over to the side and he crashed into a metal support beam, which was dented by the impact. Loki slid down onto the floor and quickly picked himself up.

Claire grinned and jogged towards the prince of lies, but just as she reached him he spun around, scepter oustretched, and the bladed end impaled her stomach and came out her back. She hissed, but nevertheless seemed to take in the pain like a drug. Loki blinked as the girl breathed heavily, and pulled the scepter out of her. He grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around, slamming her into the dented beam.

Claire grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around to the opposite wall, but Loki flipped her around again so she was against the wall. He swung his scepter and she quickly moved away; the blade scraped against the wall. He snarled as he tried to strike her again, but she dodged each attack. He brought the scepter down, but she moved away and the scepter struck the floor. Smirking, Claire delivered an up-kick to Loki's face, and he oomfed as his head was drawn back from the attack.

She grabbed him by the throat and slammed him face first into the wall, and he grabbed her by the head and slammed her into the wall. She pulled away and delivered a sift backhand, and Loki countered with a swift punch of his own. Claire stumbled back slightly, and Loki quickly drove the scepter into her torso, and Claire hissed in discomfort as the blade penetrated her body. Loki smirked in satisfaction, but his smirk quickly turned into a look of confusion as Claire smirked.

Suddenly, a white glowing mist seeped from Claire's open wound when Loki pulled the scepter from it. The mist touched the exposed flesh on Loki's hand, and Loki gripped his wrist and yelled in pain as a powerful burning sensation overcame him.

Claire stood up, breathing in, and Loki blinked as he wound just seemed to disappear. She smirked at him, and he looked at her in horror.

"What are you?"

Claire smiled. "I can be whatever I wish."

Claire put her arms out, and her body suddenly disappeared in a wash of fire. Loki's eyes widened as the flames seemed to take shape and washed over him. The fires surrounded and circled him like a vortex, and Loki jerked his scepter forward and fired an energy blast, but it just exploded harmlessly against the flames.

Suddenly, Claire materialized in front of him, and Loki nearly had a heart attack when she ran her leg up against his side and stroked his cheek seductively. She smirked at him, and suddenly grabbed his throat with both hands and started scaling up his body with her feet. Once her heels were at his throat, by which he was gagging from, she brought her foot back and drove it heel first into Loki's face. She released him as she was forced back out of the fires. He hit the wall, and looked up at the swirling flames as they faded away, and Claire casually walked out of it.

Loki quickly got up and backed away, pointing his scepter and preparing to fire an energy blast, but Claire quickly raced at him. She jumped at him, hitting his torso, and the scepter fired aimlessly. The blast struck the ceiling, sparks raining down on the room. Claire and Loki flew over the closed hatch that the glass cell was once suspended over, and struck the wall, which actually crumbled and cracked from the impact.

They hit the ground, and Claire landed feet first while Loki stumbled. Claire delivered a swift punch to his face, and Loki grunted as spit flew from his mouth. She grabbed his arm and pulled it back behind his back, and Loki yelled in pain. With his free hand, he delivered a right hook to Claire's face, causing her to let go.

He grabbed Claire by the throat and flipped her over his shoulder, but instead of landing on her back, Claire landed on her feet and grabbed Loki by the throat. She quickly flipped him over onto his back so she was on top of him, and smirked down as he scowled at her.

He kicked her off of him, and she stumbled back as he got up and prepared to deliver a punch. Claire brought her arm up to block the punch. Loki attempted to deliver a kick to her thigh, but she lifted her leg up and blocked that as well. Smirking, Claire delivered her out punch to Loki's face, and his head jerked back, only for it to jerk the other way when Claire punched him with her other fist.

Then, Claire spun around and delivered a kick that knocked Loki down on his side. He grunted as he slowly got up, but Claire grabbed his hair and pulled him up, getting a hiss of pain from him in the process. Letting go, she merciessly punched Loki twice in the face, and then delivered an uppercut with her other fist. Loki groaned as he stumbled back, and grunted as Claire drove her fist up into his get. Gripping his stomach in pain, Loki doubled over onto his knees, but Claire leapt up and delivered a kick right to his face. Loki yelped and fell on his back. His face was bruised, and he was groaning in pain.

Claire breathed in excitement. She looked over this man, and a sudden thought came over her. She gave an evil smirk. Loki gagged as Claire grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall, and she gazed at him with a sadistic grin.

"My master said I couldn't take the heroes' souls." She hissed. "But he didn't say anything about _you_."

Loki's eyes widened in horror. So that's what was different about this woman! She was no mortal. She was a demon! The mortals allied with a soul-sucking heathen?

Claire lifted her other hand up, and Loki could sense the imminent death behind the touch. He lifted his hand up and gripped her wrist, but her strength was overpowering his own. He fought to keep the hand from reaching his forehead, but it drew closer and closer.

Growing desperate, Loki looked around wildly and spotted his scpeter. With his free hand, he reached for it, but it was a foot out of his reach. He grunted as Claire's hand drew nearer, and he could feel the heat of hellfire drawing closer. Then, with a yell, he finally grabbed the scepter, jerked it forward and impaled it through Claire's chest.

Claire gasped in surprise and stopped to look down at the scepter. She looked back up at Loki, who jerked the scpeter forward, and a blew energy blast sent Claire sailing away from him and through a wall across the room. Breathing heavily and gripping his throat, Loki grunted as he pulled himself up. He looked at the hole that Claire was blown through, and quickly left the room.

Claire grunted as she pulled herself up, and hissed in anger. A soul escaped from her. That rarely ever happened…

She pulled herself out of the hole and looked around. Loki was gone. Suddenly, a door slid open and Fury and Soladat entered. They blinked when they saw her.

"You?" Fury said. "What happened? Where's Loki?"

Claire said nothing. She just looked at them without emotion. Suddenly, a groan of pain was heard, and the three looked to the side to see Coulson, bleeding heavily but still breathing. Soladat's eyes widened and she ran over to him.

"Phil!" She said, and knelt down by him. "Oh my god… oh my god…"

"Heh…" Coulson laughed, but cringed in pain. "I'm looking pretty old now, aren't I."

Fury came down next to Soladat, and put his hand on Coulson's shoulder.

"Just stay awake." He ordered. "Eyes on me."

But Coulson shook his head weakly. "No. I'm clockin' out here."

Soladat felt tears forming in her eyes. "Phil…"

Coulson just smiled at her. "Don't worry, Soladat. I've been at this for years. Maybe I need a break…"

"Not an option." Fury said seriously, but Coulson shook his head.

"It's okay, boss." He assured. "This was never gonna work if they didn't have something to... to…"

Coulson's breathing started to weaken, and Soladat's eyes widened and she looked around wildly. She settled eyes on Claire.

"You." She said. "You do something!"

But Claire did nothing. She just turned emotionlessly, and slowly strode out of the room. Soladat's teeth grit in anger, and she turned back to Coulson. He wasn't breathing.

"Is he…?"

Fury checked his pulse. After a few moments, he slowly pulled away, his expression sad. Soladat choked a sob, and slowly forced Coulson's eyes closed. She looked down mourning, and the medics came in to late.

ooooo

Hill sat on the bridge, letting the medics attend to her injuries, when Fury's voice came in on the com.

"Agent Coulson is down."

Hill blinked, and gently pushed the medic away from her as she listened in on the convo.

In another part of the ship, Agent Romanoff listened in shock as medics took Agent Barton, who was unconscious away. In the hanger bay, Carrie's eyes were watering as she listened in in shock, with Sif, who was still injured, sitting near her. In the wrecked third engine, Iron Man and Captain America listened with shock.

Agent Sitwell's voice came up next. "The medical teams are on their way to your location."

"They're here." Fury said bluntly. "They called it."

ooooo

On the outer area of the Helicarrier, Loki limped onto a lone quinjet with only a few surviving henchmen. He breathed heavily, tired from the tirade. He watched the Helicarrier shrink as the quinjet took off.

Loki forced a smirk. He escaped. Now there was nothing left to stop him.

**Oh how heroes fall. In this case, Coulson. Next chapter, the Avengers put aside their differences and finally race to confront Loki once and for all. I loved writing the action for this chapter. Especially the fight between Hikesh and the Hulk. Review pleaz.**


	20. Phase One: Avengers Assemble

**Chapter 20 – Avengers Assemble**

The Helicarrier was quiet. Agents moved around in silence, making repairs and doing their best to keep the damaged craft stable. Only one hour had taken its toll on everyone.

On the bridge, Fury had gathered the remaining heroes. Captain America, Iron Man, Archangel, Sif, and Carrie all sat around the conference table in silence, each bearing their own looks of moroseness and sorrow. Even Stark, the normally witty inventor, had nothing to say. Agent Hill stood in the corner, looking just as awful.

Natasha was not present, as she was busy tending to Agent Barton. Fury, understanding her dilemma, made no attempt to stop the Black Widow. As for Claire Voyant, nobody had seen her since Coulson died. And frankly, nobody really cared.

Everybody looked up as Fury strode in, carrying a stack of cards. "These were in Phil Coulson's jacket."

He through them across the table, and everybody saw that they were bloodstained. Soladat closed her eyes tightly, trying not to cry. Carrie's eyes were already red from crying earlier, and seeing the blood forced her to turn her head away. Steve looked down at the cards, and suddenly felt sick.

Fury noticed. "Guess he never did get you to sign them."

Fury looked at the group, and gave a pitiful sigh, looking down. "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Lewis, Hikesh. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye."

Fury gave a dark chuckle. "Maybe I had that coming."

He paused for a moment, staring out at the bridge, watching the BridgeTechs carry out their duties. He stared back at the group, looking remorseful.

"Yes, I admit it." He said, and everyone looked at him confused. "We were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier."

Stark visibly tensed at those words, and Fury noticed.

"There was an idea, Stark knows this, called The Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could."

Fury sighed. "Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."

Tony suddenly stood up, and looked livid. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he just shook his head and left the room. Fury watched him go, and sighed.

"Well, it's an old fashion notion."

Soladat got up next, and looked at Fury hard. Her eyes were red, and she looked absolutely broken. She shook her head at him.

"I'm sorry, Nick."

And with that, she left as well. Sif noticed how upset Fury seemed, and spoke up.

"Do not blame them." She said, and Fury was surprised by how sincere her voice sounded. "We have all been through a lot in these past moments. The loss of friends can take its toll on anyone."

"Coulson was a good man." Steve said.

"And a good friend." Carrie mentioned, and Steve gave her a smile, and looked back at Fury.

"But we can't keep wallowing on losses." He said. "His killer is still out there, and he needs to be brought to justice."

"Aye." Sif agreed. "As long as I am standing, I will make sure Loki faces judgment for his crimes."

Fury smiled in appreciation, but then frowned. "It may take a lot of persuasion to get everyone else to play along, though."

ooooo

Bruce groaned and blinked, squinting as light shined in his eyes. Slowly, he rubbed his head and sat up, and looked around to see he was lying in a giant pile of rubble in an abandoned building. He looked down to see that he was also completely naked.

"Oh, shit…" He murmured.

"You fell out of the sky." A voice said, and Bruce turned around to see an aged security guard. Bruce sighed in guilt.

"Did I hurt anyone?"

"There's nobody around here to get hurt." The guard remarked, and then chuckled. "You did scare the hell out of some pigeons though."

Bruce laughed. "Must've been lucky."

"Don't count on it." A familiar voice said, and Bruce looked over to see Hikesh, who was now in his normal form, standing nearby with his arms crossed.

"Your uh… friend here put you to sleep after you crashed." The guard said. "You were awake when you fell."

Bruce smiled sheepishly. "You saw?"

"The whole thing." The guard said, smiling. "Fell through the ceiling. Big and green and buck ass nude. Your friend came through a few feet away. Blasted you with some kinda green light, and you just dropped dead."

Bruce looked over at Hikesh. "Thanks."

Hikesh shrugged. "I just did what was necessary."

The guard took out a pair of trousers, and tossed them to Bruce. "Here."

Bruce caught them. "I didn't think those would fit you until you shrunk down to a regular size, fella."

Bruce slipped into the pants, and nodded at the guard. "Thank you."

Hikesh marched down from his perch, and came up to Bruce. "Now that that is over, we must figure out what to do next. Loki is still out there."

"Right." Bruce said sarcastically. "Can't have that."

"Do you know where we could go?" Hikesh asked.

Bruce shrugged. "I don't know. Stark Towers? Stark did say that was the best place to go if you get lost."

Hikesh thought it over. "That is sound plan for the moment. Let us go."

"I can help you get there." The guard interjected. The two stared at him. "You can borrow my motorcycle. Can get you anywhere within a few hundred miles."

"Great." Bruce said, but then frowned. "Where are we exactly?"

"Chemung County." The guard answered.

"Oh, great." Bruce said. "That's only like fifty miles away."

Hikesh nodded, and followed Bruce and the guard out. The guard then looked over at the two, curious.

"So, you guys aliens?"

Bruce blinked. "What?"

"Aliens." The guard said. "You know from outer space?"

"Er… I'm not." Bruce said, and then motioned to Hikesh. "He is."

Hikesh didn't face them. "It's a very long story."

"Huh." The guard said, impressed. He then looked at Bruce. "Well, son, I think you've got a condition."

ooooo

Soladat moved through the Helicarrier, just wanting to be alone. She just lost the man who she had come to think of as her best friend. The man who first convined her to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Soladat smiled, remembering how they met. How she took out all of his men, and then aimed the gun at his head. It took him twenty minutes to talk her out of pulling the trigger.

As Soladat was moving through a long hallway running along the exterior region of the ship, she stopped and glared when she say Claire standing in front of a port-side window, gazing out at the sky.

"You." Soladat hissed. Claire didn't face her.

"Are you here for comfort, Agent Wrekk?" Claire said plainly. "That's not really my area of expertise."

Soladat just marched up to Claire, turned her to face her, and slapped her across the face. Claire didn't even flinch. In fact it didn't heart. She just turned her head back, and Soladat was angry at her utter indifference.

"You bitch!" Soladat hissed. "He was dying, and you were right there! You could have helped him!"

"Could I really?" Claire sneered. "I take lives, Agent Wrekk. I don't save them. When Death comes calling, I prefer not to interfere. I couldn't save him even if I wanted to."

Soladat glared at the hellspawn. "You could have at least killed the bastard that did it."

Claire chuckled darkly. "Believe me I wanted to. But not everyone gets what they want. Not even me."

Claire slowly turned back to look at the clouds. "I've existed for more than century, Archangel. Even after my little change, I still don't know shit."

Soladat blinked at the woman, and looked at her thoughtfully. "How did you end up like this?"

Claire sighed. This was a story she did not like to share. But even in her dark, poisoned soul, she felt that the winged agent deserved some information. Even after all she went through.

"It was nearly a century ago. Ninety-seven years to be exact. I was a young mousy woman, trying to juggle work, a steady relationship, and balancing my checkbook." She explained. "I barely even remember what my parents were like than, other than they were never around. All I had was my sister, Debbie. We were always really close."

Claire sighed. "Things started to go downhill when she met this man. A man named Lester Maddox." Claire's eyes narrowed in hatred as she remembered that man. "He was a bastard. A dirty, lying bastard. I hated him from the start. Always drinking, and he even once asked that I take part in a threesome with him and Debbie."

Soladat's eyes widened, and listened intently. "I tried to get Debbie out of being with Maddox, but she was too engrossed in the life of money and privilege he gave her, no matter how shady."

Claire's eyes closed, and for the first time, she looked sad. "One night, Maddox shot Debbie dead. Why? I don't know, and I don't really care. All that mattered to me was that my little sister was gone, taken from the world."

Soladat gaped at the woman. "Well what happened to Maddox?"

"I wanted him brought to justice." Claire said, fuming. "But he was so well connected in organized crime that nobody dared touch him. I wanted revenge. I wanted to make him suffer."

Soladat's eyes widened, and she backed away slightly from the woman. "What did you do?"

"After she was buried, I spent several weeks by Debbie's grave. Then, one night, as I was leaving, he came to me." Claire said, smiling sadistically.

"Who?" Soladat said, confused.

"Mephisto." Claire said. "The creature that I am now forced to call my master. He appeared to me in the form of an old man, with the darkest eyes I had ever seen. He told me that he had those who cheated deals with him, and due to the limits of his power, he could not place judgment on them. So he offered me a deal."

"He offered me the power to get revenge on Debbie's killer and in exchange I would vow to be his servant to eliminate those who had cheated him. I agreed and he gave me a fragment of his powers." Then, Claire's smile turned cold and sadistic. "The moment I got my powers, I went to Maddox's home. He was the first."

Soladat's eyes were wide with shock. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman, but at the same time she was slightly scared of her.

Claire continued to speak. "After Maddox, I made sure that the targets I chose deserved death in some way. But as the years went by, I started to grow addicted to the art of killing. I time I started punishing those who wronged me, annoyed me, or just got in the way of things. I turned my duty into an art."

"Art?" Soladat said incredulously. "Taking peoples' lives isn't art! It's slaughter!"

"Don't judge me, Agent Wrekk." Claire said boredly. "You've dedicated your life to killing. Your no better."

"What I do is different." Soladat said, angrily. "I don't condemn peoples' souls to eternal torment."

"Whatever." Claire said. "Call me heartless if you wish. Murderer, psychopath, witch, demon, hedonist. I've been called all of those things, and it never changes anything."

Soladat scoffed, and looked out the window. She crossed her arms, and thought for a moment. Then she turned back to Claire.

"Look, I'm sure playing along with others isn't part of your criteria." She looked at Claire, who looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "But we need your help to save our world. You can either do that, or crawl back whatever hell you came from."

Claire watched Soladat leave, and sighed, staring back out into the great blue sky.

ooooo

Steve entered the detention cell, and found Tony standing on the ledge and staring down at where the cell had dropped. Tony briefly acknowledges Steve's presence.

"Was he married?" Steve asked.

"No." Tony said, shaking his head. "There was a… cellist, I think..."

"I'm sorry." Steve said. "He seemed like a good man."

"He was an idiot." Tony said bluntly, and marched down from his location and moved towards the door. But Steve stopped him.

"For what?" He said, glaring. "For believing?"

"For taking on Loki alone." Tony bit back, glaring.

"He was doing his job." Steve argued. But Tony just rolled his eyes and turned away from Steve.

"He was out of his league." Tony rested his hands against the railings, shaking his head. "He should have waited. He should have..."

"Sometimes there isn't always a way out, Tony." Steve said. Tony just scoffed.

"Yeah. How did that work for him?"

Steve frowned at the inventor. "Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?"

Suddenly, Tony whipped around to face Steve, and he hissed with anger. "We are _not_ soldiers!"

Steve frowned at Tony, who took a deep breath. "I'm not marching into Fury's fife."

"Well neither am I." Steve said back. "He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does, but right now we gotta put that behind us and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together a list..."

Tony was staring at the bloodstain on the wall. Where Coulson died.

"He made it personal." Tony interrupted.

Steve shook his head. "That's not the point."

"It is the point." Tony said, thinking. "That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"

Steve shrugged. "To tear us apart."

"He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right?" Tony hypothesized, and Steve listened curiously. "That's what he wants. He wants to beat us, but he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

Steve started to catch on and nodded. "Right, I caught his act in Stuttgart."

Tony nodded. "Yeah. But that's just previews. This... this is opening night. And Loki, he's a full-tail diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered…"

Tony stopped short, and his eyes widened in realization. Steve blinked in confusion. Tony's arms went slack.

"Son of a bitch."

ooooo

Darcy, clad in her Asgardian garb, marched through the field of flowers to where Mjolnir crashed. After Loki ejected her from the Helicarrier, she was able to escape from the cell by breaking through the weakened glass. Thoughts of Loki's confession buzzed through her head. But she couldn't dwell on personal feelings right now.

She came across Mjolnir, and found it wedged perfectly in the ground, just as it was when she first found it in Puente Antiguo one year ago. She reached for it, but before she could, a feeling of uncertainty came over her.

Darcy found herself clouded with thoughts of doubt. She tried to stop Loki once. She failed, and someone else paid the price for it. Was she really cut out for this?

Suddenly, the hammer seemed to shimmer with light, and Darcy was suddenly remembering her chat with Odin in Asgard one year ago…

_Odin gazed down at the young mortal and the weapon she carried._

"_You may have stopped the Frost Giants, but your recent actions may have made your own realm a target. Other worlds will now believe Midgard is ready for a higher form of war." Odin explained. "There will always be threats to your world, Darcy Lewis. With Mjolnir in your hands, you might be the only way of stopping them."_

_Darcy looked wide-eyed. "Me? But I'm just one person! I can't fight a war by myself!"_

"_With the power of Mjolnir, you alone may have the strength of an entire army." Odin said. "Now you must go, and protect your realm, as I must protect mine."_

_Darcy looked down at Mjolnir, studying it again. She noticed it flash briefly with energy, and she could almost feel it embracing her touch. Looking determined, Darcy gripped the handle, and looked back at Odin._

"_Alright." Darcy said. "I'll do it."_

Darcy's face looked determined now. Odin was right. She couldn't let her world suffer. Now with more confidence than before, Darcy gripped Mjolnir, and lifted it up into the sky. The clouds above darkened and crackled with electricity.

Then, a bolt of lightning came down from the clouds and struck Mjolnir, and the electricity traveled down to Darcy's body. Like magic, the damage done to her armor repaired itself, and now looked ready for battle.

Then, jerking Mjolnir forward, Darcy flew off into the air.

"Loki," Darcy whispered, "I am gonna wipe the floor with your scrawny ass!"

ooooo

Natasha undid the restraints keeping Clint down on the medical bed. He slowly stood up, and walked over to the sink to wash his face. Natasha blinked when Steve suddenly came in through the door. He looked at her seriously.

"Time to go."

Natasha blinked. "Go where?"

"I'll tell you on the way." Steve said. "Can you fly one of those jets?"

"I can." Clint said from his point in the room. Steve frowned at the archer, and then looked back at Natasha, who nodded in reassurance.

Steve nodded at Clint. "You got a suit?"

Clint nodded. "Yeah."

"Then suit up."

The three agents quickly left the room, and saw Soladat pass by.

"Archangel." Steve said, and SOladat turned to them. "Gear up. We're leaving."

Soladat's eyes widened. "You know where Loki is?"

Steve nodded. "Yup. It's time to take the fight to him."

Suddenly, Sif appeared, looking at the group with serious eyes. "Your saying you found Loki?"

Steve nodded, and Sif stepped forward. "I'm going with you."

Steve didn't argue. "Okay. Follow us."

"I'm going, too."

Everyone turned to see Carrie standing there. Steve looked unsure. "Carrie, I don't think…"

"Save it." Carrie said. "Coulson died doing what he believed what was right. If I die today, it'll be because I tried doing what I thought was right, too."

Impressed with the girl's statement, Steve nodded. "Alright. Come on."

Soladat stopped Carrie, and looked her down. "You might want to wear something more protective, though. But don't worry, I got you covered."

Carrie nodded, and followed the group into the imminent struggle.

**Yes! The Avengers are finally together! Next chapter, the war begins. Duh duh duh! Lol.**

**Btw, Claire's backstory in this is canon. I didn't make it up. I told it mainly to show that the bitch did have some traces of humanity left in her bitter soul.**

**Well, read, review, and enjoy life. Later.**


	21. Phase One: The War

**Chapter 21 – The War**

Inside a lone quinjet, a young S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot was tending to the jet's interior. He prepared to sit down and take a breather, when he noticed a group of people marching toward the quinjet. In the center was Captain America, who was now wearing his mask and wielding his shield. Flanking his sides where Agents Wrekk and Romanoff, both armed to the teeth. Next to Agent Romanoff was Agent Barton, who was now in his purple and black combat suit with his high-tech bow and arrow in hand. Next to him was Sif, whose Asgardian healing factor repaired some of the wounds inflicted onto her by the Hulk. She had her sword in its holster and her shield on her shoulder.

Next to Agent Wrekk was Carrie, who was now wearing dark bullet proof vest over her white and grey shirt. The vest had dark yellow stripes around the sides and a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on the front. She also was wearing a jean skirt with a black belt wrapped around it. Underneath the skirt were black skin-tight pants, and brown boots. Courtesy of Soladat.

The pilot quickly walked out of the jet to stop them.

"Hey, you're not authorized to be here!"

"Son," Captain America interrupted, shaking his head, "just don't."

ooooo

On the bridge, Fury stood at the viewing port as the BridgeTechs worked around him. He was looking down at Coulson's trading cards. He glanced back when he heard footsteps approaching, and saw Agent Hill approaching.

"Sir."

"Agent Hill?"

Hill frowned at him, crossing her arms. "Those cards were in Coulson's locker, not his jacket."

Fury sighed and looked back at the cards. "They needed the push."

Suddenly, a voice spoke over the com. "Attention, we have an unauthorized departure."

Fury, Hill, and the other BridgeTechs blinked in surprise and looked out the port to see Iron Man zoom by, followed by a quinjet. Fury smirked.

"They found him." He said, and then turned to Hill. "Get our communications back up, whatever you have to do. I want eyes on everything."

Hill nodded. "Yes, sir."

ooooo

"Beth!"

The blonde waitress turned her head at her boss, who was pointing at a table outside the diner. "Family of three."

Beth smiled and nodded. She headed outside and walked up to the family, seeing that it was two parents and their young daughter.

"Hello, my name is Beth, I'm going to be your server today." Beth said with a smile. "Can I take your orders?"

The husband started to speak. "Yes, I'll take…"

"Mommy, daddy, look!" The daughter pointed up at the sky. Beth turned to see Iron Man soaring overhead toward Stark Tower, but she noticed that his suit was faltering slightly as he flew. The people gathered around applauded at the armored hero as he hovered above Stark Tower. Beth squinted up, and could barely see what Iron Man was doing up there.

Suddenly, there was an explosion and everyone looked up confused as a blue pulse seemed to come from Stark Tower. Beth caught a brief glimpse of Iron Man hovering away from the roof and down to the lower floor where the Stark insignia was set up.

"Mommy, what happened?" The young girl asked.

"I don't know, honey."

Beth just looked up, suddenly having a very bad feeling of the situation.

ooooo

Scepter in hand, Loki watched as Tony slowly removed his armor and entered the living room/bar area of the building. Frowning in confusion, Loki entered the room to see Stark standing at the bar whipping up a few drinks. Tony feigned a welcoming smile at the god of lies.

Loki returned a false smile of his own. "Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity."

"Uh… actually," Tony said, "I'm planning to threaten you."

Loki chuckled. "You should have kept your armor on for that."

Tony shrugged, and, unknown to Loki, slipped on two metal bracelet-like devices, and paged a silent order to JARVIS. "Yeah, she's seen a lot of mileage. But look at you. You got the big blue stick of destiny."

Loki looked down at his scepter, smiling. At least the inventor was observant, unlike most of the mortals here. He looked up as Tony poured a glass of liquor.

"Would you like a drink?" The billionaire offered. Loki glared.

"Stalling me won't change anything."

"No, no, no!" Tony said, holding up his hand in a stop position. "No stalling. Threatening."

Loki just glared in annoyance and turned away from Tony, staring out at the cityscape. Despite his abhorrence for humanity, he had to admit they had impressive architecture. This city was almost as large as Asgard. It's too bad it would all go to waste.

Behind him, Stark offered the glass again. "You sure you don't want a drink? I'm having one."

"The Chitauri are coming. Nothing can change that." Loki said, ignoring Stark's offer. He turned around to face the inventor. "What have I to fear?"

"The Avengers." Stark said simply. Loki frowned in confusion and slowly stepped forward. Seeing Loki's expression, Tony quickly explained.

"It's what we call ourselves, sort of like a team. An 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' type of thing." Tony said simply.

Loki chuckled, nodding. "Yes. I've met them. Can't say that I'm impressed, though."

Tony shrugged. "Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But, let's do a head count here. Your girlfriend, the thunder goddess."

Loki glared at the inventor when he mentioned Darcy, but continued to listen. "A super soldier and living legend who kind of lives up to the legend, an alien warrior who spent the last fifty-thousand years locked in a refrigerator, a girl with some impressive psychic talents, a man with breathtaking anger management issues, a succubus who, might I add, gave you quite the ass kicking."

Loki glared up at the inventor in annoyance. Tony shrugged. "Saw the security footage. Couldn't resist."

"And then we got some master assassins." Tony finished, and then pointed at the Asgardian prince. "And you, my friend, have managed to piss off every single one of them."

Loki smirked. "That was the plan."

"Not a great plan." Tony remarked, and slowly stepped out from behind the counter, drink in hand, and approached Loki. "When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."

Loki glared. "I have an army."

"We have a Hulk."

Loki blinked, and pointed his staff out at the city. "I thought the beast had wondered off?"

"You're missing the point!" Tony suddenly yelled, and the lord of lies glared in outrage. "There's no throne, absolutely no version of this where you come out on top! Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you."

Now only a few feet away from the god, Tony glared defiantly. "Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it."

Glaring daggers at the inventor, Loki approached him menacingly. "How will your friends have time for me, when they're so busy fighting you?"

Suddenly, Loki touched Stark's chest with the tip of his scepter. But to Loki's surprise, the blue energies given off by the staff seemed to vanish, and the gem's glow died down. Tony blinked up at the god in confusion.

Frowning, Loki tried it again with the same results. Tony smirked at the Asgardian, and Loki looked back sheepishly.

"This usually works."

"Well, performance issues…" Tony said, shrugged. "Not uncommon. One out of five maybe…"

Suddenly Loki grabbed Stark by the throat, and the inventor gagged at the grip. Loki tossed Stark angrily to the side, and Tony slowly pulled himself up.

"JARVIS," He said quietly to his AI, "any time now."

He gagged again when Loki picked him up by the throat, and brought the inventor to him eye level, snarling in fury.

"You will all fall before me!"

Then, Loki jerked his hand back, preparing to throw the billionaire.

"Deploy, JARVIS!" Stark said, and a hidden compartment at the end of the room suddenly opened up. "Deploy!"

Loki through Tony through the window, and he fell several stories below. Loki smirked, but then blinked when he heard the sound of engines priming, and looked back to see a red missile-looking device rocket out of the compartment. It raced past him, hitting him across the face on the way, and raced down after Tony.

Locking into the homing bracelets Tony equipped, the device unfolded into the Mark VII, and attached itself to the inventor. Now Iron Man, Tony quickly propelled himself upwards before he could hit the ground, and raced back up to the top floor. He saw Loki pulling himself up off the ground, and upon seeing Stark, Loki glared in anger.

"And there's one other person you pissed off!" Tony said. "His name is Phil."

Loki pointed the scepter at Iron Man, preparing to fire an energy blast, but Iron Man quickly fired a repulsor blast at the invader, knocking him off his feet.

Tony prepared to finish off the Asgardian, when he heard a noise up above and looked up to see a blue beam firing off into the sky. Then, a black hole suddenly formed in the sky, and Tony's eyes widened when these creatures suddenly poured through. They looked humanoid, except Tony noticed that they supported numerous biomechanical formations on their bodies. They were riding jet-ski looking vehicles, and were heading right for the city.

"Right…" Tony said, locking his suit's targeting systems on the creatures. "Army."

ooooo

Beth's eyes widened in shock when a large black portal suddenly opened up above Stark Tower. The customers all got up from their tables, seeing it as well. Beth squinted and saw, to her shock, a number of… things coming out of the portal. They looked like people on jet-skis. Then, she spotted Iron Man racing up towards them. He shot a few of them down with his repulsor blasts, and then shot a number of little pellets at them that exploded, blowing several of the creatures up.

However, a few of the creatures flew past Iron Man and started descending upon the city. On a nearby bridge, people got out of their cars and looked up at the spectacle in confusion, but their confusion soon turned to horror when the creatures started shooting at them with plasma rifles.

People ran screaming as cars were blown up by the blue streaks of plasma as well as a few unfortunate civilians. Below, Beth ducked away when a few stray blasts scathed the nearby tables.

She quickly led several of terrified customers into the diner, locking the door behind her. Once everyone was safely inside, Beth looked up in bewilderment as the creatures started destroying buildings, cars, and innocent lives.

ooooo

Loki stepped out onto the landing platform on the tower, and his body shimmered as his helmet appeared over his head, and his suit repaired itself from the damage. He watched as his army laid waste to the city, smiling in satisfaction. All was going well. Nothing could possibly ruin it now.

Suddenly, the scepter's gem glowed brightly, and Lok grunted in pain and gripped his head. His eyes turned from bright green to bright blue as something invaded his thoughts.

"_Well_?" The raspy voice of the Other said. Loki smirked.

"My time has come." Loki announced in pride.

"_Resistance_?" The Other hissed.

Loki shook his head. "Only from a few. We'll pick them apart."

"_And the rest of the humans_?" The Other queried.

Loki just smirked. "We mow them down."

"Loki!"

Loki blinked as his eyes returned to their normal color, and he turned to see Thordis had landed nearby. She glared up at him.

Loki gave her a smile. "Ah, Darcy! So you did survive. Enjoying my little revolution?"

"Stop this!" She demanded, pointing at the devastation. "Right now!"

Loki scoffed. "Do you really think I'd stop? After all I've gone through to get here? Don't be a fool!"

Darcy glared. "I'm warning you, Loki. I kicked your ass once. I can do it again!"

"I want you to try." Loki hissed.

Darcy's eyes narrowed. "Don't think I won't!"

Then, Loki, giving a warrior's yell, leapt down at Darcy, preparing to bring the scepter down on her. Darcy quickly leapt out of the way and the scepter struck the ground. Darcy quickly swung the hammer at Loki, who brought the scepter up to block the strike. Darcy backed away as Loki swung the scepter at her, which she ducked away from. Loki continued swinging the scepter so that it was against his shoulders, and gripped the other end with his other hand. He jerked the scepter, and an energy blast shot out towards Darcy.

Bringing Mjolnir up, Darcy absorbed the blast into her hammer. Glaring, Darcy swung the hammer down to strike Loki, who clashed the scepter against it. Darcy's strength being the better of the two, Darcy forced the edge of the scepter to point away from her and to the side. The resulting energy blast struck the K on the Stark insignia, blowing it clean off.

The A fell from the tower, plummeting several stories until it crashed onto the roof of a smaller building below.

ooooo

In the streets below, several police cars drove up around Stark Tower. The officers got out and looked up in shock as several of the creatures soared overhead, firing their weapons at anything they considered a target.

One sergeant saw Iron Man racing after a small group of the creatures, shooting them down one by one.

"What in the name of…"

Suddenly, the sound of a jet engine was heard, and the officers looked up to see some sort of jet zooming in towards the city.

ooooo

"We're here." Clint said from the front. "But we might be too late."

Everyone came up to the front and all looked in shock and horror at the sight before them. A portal was already opened above Stark Tower and a swarm of creatures, who the group guessed were the Chitauri, was besieging the entire city. Carrie's eyes widened, recognizing the creatures from her vision.

"That looks bad…" She murmured.

"That might just be the biggest understatement ever." Steve said to her. Suddenly, everyone turned at the sound of the hatch opening, and saw Soladat standing at the loading ramp, rifle in hand.

"What are you doing?" Steve yelled. Soladat turned and smirked.

"Providing a little aerial support." She said, and then waved. "See ya!"

"Wait!"

But Archangel already leapt out of the jet and unfolded her wings, flying in to confront the invaders. Steve quickly turned back to Barton.

"Take us in!"

"You got." Clint said, and started making his descent into the cityscape. Natasha quickly paged Stark.

"Stark, we're on your three headed northeast!"

"What, did you stop for drive through?" Tony's irate voice responded. Natasha glared in annoyance, and Tony, as if seeing her expression, quickly responded in a kinder tone.

"Swing that park, I'm gonna lay 'em out for you."

"Roger that." Natasha said, and then nodded at Clint. Clint nodded back and made a rapid descent into the city skyline. Opening the hatch beneath the quinjet, Clint unloaded the mini-gun on several Chitauri sky riders. After gunning down numerous riders, the quinjet soared over Grand Central Station and swooped upwards towards the top of Stark Tower.

Nearby, Iron Man was being pursued by two persistent Chitauri flyers.

"_Sir, we have more incoming_." JARVIS informed his master.

"Fine!" Tony snapped. "Let's keep 'em occupied."

"Don't worry, Stark!" The voice of Soladat said through the com. "I've got you covered."

From inside his suit, Tony blinked and glanced over to see Archangel soaring nearby. Aiming her rifle towards an unsuspecting Chitauri flyer, Archangel pulled the trigger and smirked with satisfaction as the pilot took the shot right to the head. Careening out of control, the flyer rammed into the flyer flanking its left. Both flyers collided and exploded, and the remains plummeted down to the streets below.

"Thank you very much, Archangel." Iron Man said in appreciation.

Archangel smirked, but then glared when she noticed five more incoming. "Stark, you got five bogeys closing in from behind!"

"Right."

Iron Man quickly turned around and pointed his hands at the rapidly approaching flyers, and fired two repulsor blasts. Both struck two of the flyers, but the other two continued to close in. Iron Man braced himself as one of the flyers collided with him, but Iron Man managed to grip down on the flyer and spun around, throwing the flyer off course and into another as it flew by. Both crashed into the ground, exploding.

Iron Man quickly swerved away from a plasma blast, and prepared to fire a repulsor blast at the last flyer, but Archangel quickly fired her rifle at the pilot, striking him right in the chest.

The Chitauri shrieked in pain, and started swerving around wildly. Seeing an open target, Iron Man raised his hand and took out the flyer with a second repulsor blast.

"Bogeys taken care of." Tony said.

"Just those few." Archangel remarked. "We got over a hundred more."

Tony grimaced inside his suit. "Right…"

ooooo

Back on Stark Tower, Loki ducked to avoid a swing from Thordis' hammer, and then swung his scepter, striking Thordis in the back and causing her to stumble. Growling, Loki grabbed Thordis by the hair, eliciting a hiss of pain from the thunder goddess in the process, and smashed her head against the glass railing nearby.

Up above, the quinjet hovered over the two combatants. Inside, Sif, who was looking over Natasha's shoulder, pointed.

"There he is!"

Natasha looked over at Clint. "Hawkeye?"

"I see him." He remarked, and started firing at the god of lies.

Loki grunted in surprise as he was pelted with bullets, and looked up to see the quinjet firing at him. Glaring in annoyance, Loki tossed Thordis away and pointed his scepter up at the quinjet. Jerking it forward, Loki unloaded an energy blast, which struck the quinjet's right wing, blowing a gaping hole in it.

"Shit! Hold on!" Clint yelled as the quinjet started falling out of the sky. Everybody onboard quickly braced themselves for impact.

Loki prepared to fire another blast to finish the jet off, but Thordis yelled and charged at Loki, knocking him off his feet. Loki grunted in pain as Thordis delivered a fury of hard punches to his face, and tried to block the strikes, but Thordis strength greatly outclassed his own. She grabbed him by the throat and bit his face left and right with her other fist, and soon blood started to drip from his nose.

Below, the quinjet spun out of control as it was racing towards the street at uncontrollable speed. Clint grit his teeth as he tried to keep the quinjet straight, but was having no such luck. Sif gripped the back of Natasha's seat in order to keep herself standing, while Captain America and Carrie were holding onto their seats in the back.

"Everybody brace for impact!" Clint yelled over the noise. Natasha closed her eyes as the ground came in fast, but the collision didn't come as expected.

Natasha opened her eyes, and blinked in confusion when she saw that they were hovering above the ground.

"What…?" Clint said, looking around in confusion.

"Carrie?" Captain America said, and everybody looked back to see the telekinetic girl was standing up and gripping the jet's steel-grab bars, and had a look of concentration on her face. The jet faltered slightly when the captain put a hand on her shoulder.

"Carrie, you can let go now."

Carrie grunted as she released her hold, and the jet immediately dropped and smashed against the ground. Everybody jerked forward from the small impact, but were nonetheless unharmed.

Captain America quickly opened the hatch and ran outside. Everyone else followed. The group saw that they had crashed on the bridge leading up to Grand Central, and ran past numerous terrified civilians.

The skies were filled with Chitauri flyers, with more and more emerging from the portal. Captain Ameirca looked back at his teammates.

"Come on, we need to get back up there!"

Suddenly, the group stopped when a loud, inhuman wail seemed to echo from the portal. Looking up, the Avengers gawked when an enormous creature suddenly flew out of the portal, roaring loudly. It looked like a giant tadpole covered in a thick armored shell, and had metal fins jutting out of its sides. It's mouth was filled with jagged black teeth and diseased looking gums.

Still holding Loki by the throat, Thordis looked up from her perch on Stark Tower in shock as the creature scaled down the building and swooped over Grand Central, knocking the head and torso of a nearby statue as it did. It floated over the bridge, and the Avengers watched as several Chitauri foot soldiers were ejected from numerous pods attached to the monster's sides.

The soldiers leaped from the pods and into the nearby buildings, where they started attacking the people inside.

In the skies above, Archangel and Iron Man watched with wide eyes.

"Oh, shiiiiiiitt!" Archangel groaned.

**And that is the first part of the Battle for New York! Next chapter, the battle continues (duh, lol).**

**Before I close this up for today, I'd like to share some thoughts on the final battle, mainly the Chitauri. I'll admit, the fight would have been nothing without them, but realistically, the Chitauri couldn't have been more worthless as a team. Really the only advantage they had was their sheer number. When I first saw the movie I expected them to be difficult adversaries with how threatening Loki made them sound, but as I found out later they were the most unorganized bunch in movie history! In a way, they are everything that the Avengers aren't.**

**Anyway, sorry for rambling, but I just felt like sharing that. Review pleaz!**


	22. Phase One: The War (II)

**Chapter 22 – The War (II)**

"Stark, Archangel? Are you guys seeing this?" Captain America asked over com as he and the other ground forces watched the enormous tadpole monster soar overhead and start ramming into buildings.

"Seeing." Iron Man responded.

"But still working on believing." Archangel cut in. Iron Man scanned the area, looking for someone specific.

"Where's Banner?" He asked. "Has he shown up yet?"

"Banner?" The captain said in confusion. Stark huffed in annoyance.

"Just keep me posted." Stark ordered, and cut the com. Returning his attention to the Leviathan, Stark flew alongside it as it rammed its enormous fin through a skyscraper, slicing it in half.

"JARVIS, find me a soft spot."

ooooo

Thordis watched as the Chitauri laid waste to the great foundation of Manhattan. Gritting her teeth, she picked Loki up by the throat, and his eyes wobbled and blood dripped from his nose. He shook his head and settled his gaze on her.

"Look at that, Loki!" She yelled, forcing his head to face the carnage. "They're destroying everything! If this keeps up you'll be the king of nothing!"

But Loki shook his head. "No."

Hissing, Thordis forced Loki to look back at her. "Please, you have to stop this! Try to think about the people out there! Think about your family!"

Loki blinked, and images of his mother started flashing through his head, and he bit his lip.

Darcy sighed. "Do you really think they'd want you to be doing this right now?"

Loki just shook his head. "I'm sorry. It can't be stopped. It's too late."

By Thordis shook her head. "No, it's not! You can help us take these guys down."

Loki looked at Thordis for a few moments, and it looked like he was contemplating on saying yes. But then, his face turned sour again and Thordis looked down to see he was holding a small Asgardian dagger. Before she could react, he plunged the tiny place into her abdomen, and Thordis grunted and backed away. She glared up at the god of lies.

"Sentiment, Darcy Lewis." He sneered.

Yelling in fury, Thordis grabbed Loki's head with both hands and slammed her skull into it, denting his helmet and leaving a large bruise on his head. Loki gripped his head, backing away, but Thordis quickly picked him up and lifted him over her leg.

Then, she brought his body down spine first on her leg, and Loki yelled in pain as a loud popping sound was heard and he lost all feeling in his spine. He released the scepter, which landed near Thordis' feet, but she paid it no mind.

She dropped Loki by the ground, and watched as he hissed in pain and tried to crawl away from her. He looked up at Thordis with a glare, and then smiled as he rolled over off of the ledge. Thordis' eyes widened and she stepped forward to catch him, but he already fell only to be picked up by a passing Chitauri flyer.

His spine already healing itself, Loki slowly pulled himself to the controls and started manning the flyer on his own.

Thordis frowned and silently cursed, and then looked around. Eventually, she looked up towards the portal and followed the blue beam connecting the wormhole to the roof of Stark Tower. Pointing her hammer upwards, Thordis raced upwards and landed on the roof.

She saw a device firing the beam up into the sky, with the Tesseract secured in the center. Then, Darcy noticed the body lying unconscious nearby, and her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

"Erik!" She ran up to the doctor and shook him. "Come on, doc, wake up!"

She got no response. He was out cold.

"Shit." Thordis cursed. She gently laid him back down, and then turned towards the device, studying it. "Okay, how do I do this…"

She saw that the device was hooked up to a high tech computer, which was made up of numerous buttons, keys, and gerfs that she didn't understand. Eventually, Darcy shrugged.

"Well, to quote a friend of mine…" Thordis said, raising her hammer up, "Meow-meow, smash!"

She yelled as she brought Mjolnir down on the device, but she blinked when a pulsing energy field suddenly materialized around the device. The field absorbed the blow from the hammer, and then unleashed a blue blast of energy that sent Darcy flying. Screaming, Darcy plummeted from the building, and landed right on the back of a Chitauri flyer.

The Chitauri pilot held on tightly as the flyer suddenly faltered, and looked back in confusion and saw Thordis standing there, trying to balance herself on the flyer.

Darcy smiled sheepishly at the alien. "Hey."

The Chitauri hissed and pointed its gun at her, when Mjolnir suddenly fell out of the sky and on the Chitauri's arm. Unable to lift the hammer, the Chitauri hissed in surprise as its hand was forced down and stuck on the seat of the flyer. As it tried to wrench its hand free, Thordis realized that the weight from the hammer was causing the flyer to descend rather rapidly.

"Oh, dear." She muttered, and quickly picked Mjolnir up. The Chitauri pulled itself up, rubbing its hand, and glared at Thordis from underneath its mask.

"My hammer!" Thordis said, and then nailed the Chitauri right in the skull, caving in its forehead and killing it. Smirking, Thordis quickly flew from the flyer as it crashed into a building and exploded.

ooooo

Back on the bridge, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Sif, and Carrie ducked behind a black car as the Chitauri raced through the skyline, firing down on fleeing and terrified civilians. Captain America grunted as a vehicle nearby exploded, and Sif snarled, eager to go and face the aggressors.

Suddenly, Hawkeye jumped over the hood of the car and joined them.

"They've got civilians trapped in the…"

Suddenly Carrie gasped. "Get down!"

Everyone grunted as an invisible force suddenly forced them to duck, and a volley of plasma blasts suddenly struck the ground a few inches away. Carrie looked in the direction of the Chitauri flyer that attempted to shoot them, glaring.

"Loki." She said.

The others looked up and saw Loki piloting the flyer. Grinning madly, Loki fired upon several cars, buildings, and civilians, basking in the carnage and chaos. He even blew up a large Dr. Pepper truck, and the resulting explosion consumed an entire city block.

The captain looked back at his teammates. "We need to get these people to safety. I'll try to rally the police forces."

Suddenly, a group of Chitauri foot soldiers landed nearby, hissing and pointing their guns, eager to find a target. Captain America glared at them, and then looked back at the others.

"You think you can hold them off?" He asked.

"Captain," Hawkeye said, readying his bow, "it would be by genuine pleasure."

"Mine as well." Sif said, smirking. "Stories will be told of this day."

Nodding, Captain America quickly leapt out from their hiding place and jogged over to the edge of the bridge. The Chitauri screeched when they saw him and started firing, but the others quickly emerged and attacked.

Evading numerous plasma blasts, the captain leapt over the edge of the bridge and onto a vacant bus, doing a summersault as he landed before getting back to his feet. A number of plasma blasts came after him, barely hitting him and blowing up the roof of the bus. Captain America jumped off of the bus and onto the roof of a white van, when the bus suddenly went up in flames and the car was hurled forward by the blast. The captain expertly jumped off, doing a flip in midair and landing safely on the road, and continued to run from the pursuing flyers.

Black Widow shot at the advancing Chitauri with her two Glock 26 handguns, smirking at a few successful hits. Sif gave a warrior's yell and she charged into the advancing group, leaping at a lone Chitauri soldier and driving it into the ground with her sword. Her senses alerted her to a Chitauri coming at her from behind, and lifted her shield up to block a strike from the alien. Wrenching her sword out of the dead Chitauri she killed earlier, Sif swung it at the one who attacked her, taking its head clean off. Dark purple blood seeped from the creature's wound as it slumped over, dead. Sif yelled and swung her shield to the left, hitting another Chitauri righted in the face.

The Chitauri screeched as it fell on its beck, and Sif brought her sword down on it, killing it. Another one rushed at her, preparing to beat her with the blunt end of its rifle. Sif glared and kicked it away, falling on its back. Sif brought her boot down on its neck, breaking it, and then swung around to deliver a fatal slash to another Chitauri. She grunted as a rifle blunt struck her in the back of the head, and she turned around and drove her sword through the idiotic Chitauri's torso, smiling as it gagged in pain. She pulled it free and jabbed it back behind her, not even looking at the Chitauri she impaled.

While Sif and the Widow were dealing with the Chitauri, Carrie and Hawkeye were helping civilians evacuate a bus that was locked in between a number of abandoned cars. Hawkeye lifted a young woman out of the bridge, instructing her to run for safety. Next, he helped a small family, starting with a young boy and then his mother. Carrie, meanwhile, forced the doors open, breaking them off and tossing them to the side, and civilians immediately rushed out and started running for cover.

Taking out his bow, Hawkeye joined the Widow in shooting down Chitauri, firing an arrow right through one's chest.

"Just like Budapest all over again!" Natasha yelled over the noise.

"You and I remember Budapest very differently." Clint said, smirking. Carrie just shook her head.

"I'm not even gonna ask." Then, Carrie grunted and forced her hand out, unleashing a large telekinetic blast that sent the remaining Chitauri flying in every direction. Sif blinked as the Chitauri she were fighting were suddenly forced away, and shrieked as they fell from the bridge.

Carrie sensed several flyers approaching from above, and glared up as they zoomed in their direction. Reaching out with her mind, she lifted seven cars up into the air and then fumbled with the gas tanks. Then, just like that, the cars exploded in midair and the Widow, Hawkeye, and Sif shielded their eyes from the blast. The Chitauri flyers were caught in the great explosion and destroyed. One fell onto the bridge and skidded across the concrete until the pilot jerked off and slid in front of the group. Getting up and shaking its head, the Chitauri hissed and pointed its gun at them, but before the Widow or Hawkeye to shoot it down, Carrie glared and gripped the Chitauri's skull with her mind.

The Chitauri dropped its gun and screeched as its helmet suddenly caved in around it, and its head was crushed with a sickening crunch.

Sif came up to the trio, looking on in surprise.

"Wow." Hawkeye said, looking at Carrie in surprise. "Remind me never to piss you off."

Carrie just smiled.

ooooo

A swarm of police cars were parked around in the city streets, with the cops ducking behind them and coming out every now and then to try and take a few shots at the Chitauri flyers. So far, no successful shots had been made. What do you expect?

The sergeant shot up at the flyers, but blinked when he felt a lieutenant tap his shoulder, and looked over.

"It'll be an hour before they can scramble the National Guard!" The lieutenant said, panicking.

"The National Guard?!" The sergeant said, incredulously. A plasma blast struck the hood of the car right behind them, and the sergeant and lieutenant jumped. The sergeant looked back at the lieutenant. "Does the army know what's happening here?!"

"Do we?" The lieutenant hissed.

Suddenly, a man in a blue spangly outfit jumped out of nowhere and landed on the roof of the sergeant's car. The cops raised their guns apprehensively, but when they saw the man, they blinked in confusion.

"I need men in those buildings." Captain America said, pointing at several buildings lined up around the streets. "There are people inside that can run into the line of fire. You take them through the basement or through the subway, but keep them off the streets! I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."

The sergeant looked at the captain bemusedly. "Why the hell should I take orders from you?"

Just then, a large truck exploded nearby, and two Chitauri foot soldiers leaped out and attempted to attack the group. The cops backed up in fear, but the captain bashed one of them away with his shield. The other attempted to shoot him, but the captain quickly blocked the blast with his shield and delivered a punch that forced the alien away. The other one rushed at him from behind, but he swung his shield around, smacking it right in the face and breaking its neck. As it fell to the ground dead, Captain America grabbed the arm of the other one as it was preparing to shoot him, and then brought his shield down blade-like and cut off the Chitauri's arm. The Chitauri screeched in pain, and fell over onto the ground as the captain bashed him in the face with the shield.

Looking down, the captain smirked at the stupefied expressions from the cops. The sergeant immediately turned towards the cops and began spouting the same exact orders Captain America gave him. Satisfied, the captain turned towards the lieutenant and tossed the Chitauri rifle at him.

"See what you can do with this."

The lieutenant hastily caught it, and watched as the captain ran off to rejoin his teammates. The cop studied the weapon, and jumped when the Chitauri's severed arm fell from the socket. He looked at the empty holster in curiosity and put his arm inside. He felt around and felt a switch-like handle inside, but winced slightly at the tight grip it had around his wrist.

Suddenly, he heard a hiss and looked to see a Chitauri pointing its rifle at him. The lieutenant quickly lifted the rifle and jerked his hand, and blinked in surprise when plasma blast shot out and blew the Chitauri's face off. He looked down at the weapon in amazement, and quickly paged his fellow officers.

"If you find enemies down, get the guns. The guns are very good!"

ooooo

Beth and the other terrified civilians continued to watch from inside the diner, when a Chitauri flyer swooped by and shot at the window. The window shattered and the diner occupants all screamed in fear and backed away. They all quickly scrambled out of the diner, running in different directions. Beth ran through the streets, and screamed when a man in front of her was suddenly gunned down by a plasma blast.

Running away from the body, Beth looked around, terrified, and yelped when a building nearby exploded. She ducked behind a taxi, and huddled behind it, whimpering. Getting up and looking around, she saw the coast was clear and quickly ran through the rubble and wrecked streets. She came across a downed Chitauri flyer, and looked at it in shock. She ran her hand against the metal, and was flinched when she felt how hot it was.

Hearing a noise from above, Beth looked up in surprise to see a blonde woman in a strange armor and red cape, wielding a silver mallet. The woman soared past her, and Beth looked on in astonishment.

"Hey! Hey miss!"

Beth blinked and looked over to see the lieutenant wielding the rifle. He motioned for her to come over to him. Smiling in relief, Beth started to jog over to him, when a blast of plasma suddenly shot down from the sky and struck his head. Beth yelped when his head exploded into a bloody mess, and tried to run away.

Her eyes widened when she saw a Chitauri foot soldier standing right behind her, and screamed as it grabbed her by the hair and dragged her away.

ooooo

Iron Man raced around several buildings, eventually coming face to face with the Leviathan. Stopping short in front of it, Iron Man shot out several flares that flashed in front of the monster's face. The beast howled in anger, and turned as Iron Man flew past it. Its fin slashed through the side of a building, sending pieces of rubble crashing down to the streets below.

"Well, we got its attention." Stark said, eyes wide as the monster soared after him. "Now what the hell is step two?"

Archangel raced after several flyers, expertly gunning the pilots and sending them crashing to the ground. She blinked through, when Iron Man raced past her, and she looked back and nearly screamed when she saw the Leviathan racing towards them, and quickly flew after Stark.

ooooo

Hawkeye bashed the Chitauri over the head with his bow, knocking it off its feet, and as it tried to get up, he took an arrow from his pack and impaled the alien through the chest. Sif expertly took down five of them, not even breaking a sweat.

Carrie had her hands lifted up, having created an invisible kinetic barrier that was protecting them from the Chitauri flyers. The Black Widow provided protection for her by taking down any advancing foot soldiers. She leapt onto one's back, wrapping her legs around its neck, and jammed her wrist mounted Widow Bites into its throat. Electrical shocks surged through the Chitauri's body, and it spasmed before dropping dead. The Widow picked up the plasma rifle it was carrying, and saw how similar it was to an Earth weapon. Pulling the trigger, Natasha shot down several advancing Chitauri, blowing them open with plasma blasts.

Hawkeye drove another arrow into a Chitauri's chest, and Sif decapitated one that was trying to attack him from behind. She beat one away with her shield, and prepared to slash at another one, only for Natasha to blast it with her rifle. Sif nodded at the Widow, who nodded back and then beat two Chitauri away with the rifle. Suddenly, one grabbed her from behind, and the Widow kicked, trying to escape from his grasp.

There was a small blast of fire, though, and the Chitauri released Natasha and dropped dead. Natasha looked back and saw a familiar blonde succubus standing there, smirking.

"Voyant?" She said.

Claire smirked. "You were expecting maybe Batman?"

Claire's was quickly replaced with a glare and she spun around, catching a Chitauri's fist. Then, she lifted her leg up and drove her heal right into the Chitauri's throat, spurting purple blood everywhere. The Chitauri gagged and fell down, dead. Another rushed towards her, but Claire grabbed it by the shoulder and brought her heal down on its leg, snapping it like a twig. The Chitauri screeched as it fell down gripping its leg, but Claire grabbed its head and twisted its neck, breaking it.

Captain America suddenly leapt into the fray, and bashed three Chitauri away with his shield. The captain, the Widow, Hawkeye, Sif, Claire, and Carrie all backed into each other as several soldiers surrounded them, but before they could attack, bolts of lightning shot down from the sky and struck the creatures. They shrieked in agony as electricity surged through their bodies, frying them.

Thordis fell down from the sky and landed next to the group with a loud thud, and breathed heavily as they approached.

"What's the story upstairs?" Captain America asked.

"The cube is being protected by some kind of barrier." Thordis said. "I can't break it."

"Darcy's right." Iron Man said through the com. "We gotta deal with these guys."

"What do we do?" Carrie said, looking up worriedly.

"We work as a team." Captain America said.

"What about Loki?" Sif said. "We must capture him as well."

"I don't know about capture." Claire said. "I still have some unfinished business with him."

"Yeah? Get in line." Hawkeye told the hellspawn, he frowned at him.

"Save it." Captain America said, frowning. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark and Wrekk up top, they're gonna need us..."

Suddenly, the group turned to the sound a motorbike, and blinked in surprise when they saw Bruce Banner driving a motorcycle with Xegh Hikesh crammed in a sidecar. The Prothean grunted as he pulled himself free from the tight seat, and stumbled out. He glared at Bruce.

"That is the last time I ride in one of your primitive transports." He said. Bruce just rolled his eyes and got up from the bike. The rest of the Avengers looked at each other in confusion, and then walked over to the two.

"Where the hell have you guys been?" Thordis said. Bruce shrugged.

"We got sidetracked."

Hikesh looked around at the chaos, and then at Bruce. "Stark Tower. Good call."

"Says you." Bruce said, then looked at the group.

So," he said, smirking, "this all seems horrible."

"I've seen worse." Natasha said, looking at Bruce apprehensively. Bruce looked back apologetically.

"Sorry."

But Natasha just smiled. "No, it's okay. We could use a little worse."

"Stark," Captain America said into the com, "we got him."

"Banner?" Stark asked.

Steve nodded. "Just like you said."

"Then tell him to suit up." Stark instructed. "I'm bringing the party to you."

Suddenly, Archangel landed near them, running past them with a scared expression on her face, and she was panting.

"Soladat?" Hikesh said, eyebrows raised.

Soladat stopped and looked at Hikesh. "Oh, hey Xegh! Glad you could make it."

"Where's Stark?" Hawkeye asked. Soladat blinked.

"Stark? Oh, he's uh…"

Suddenly, everyone turned at the sound of a loud roar and gawked as Iron Man turned the corner, with the Leviathan chasing after him and shredding the side of a building with its fins.

"Woah." Thordis said, eyes widened. Sif hissed, readying her weapon.

"I don't see how that's party…" Natasha said, frowning. Iron Man flew in low along the bridge, and the Leviathan descended as well and started gliding along the surface, plowing through cars and rubble. Bruce looked at the rest of the group, and then took a deep breath as he turned and started walking towards the Leviathan.

"Dr. Banner!" Captain America said, stopping the scientist. "Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Captain." Bruce turned around to face the group, and they all saw that his eyes were now glowing green. "I'm always angry."

Bruce turned back to the Leviathan, who was now only a few meters away. Everyone gasped as Bruce suddenly transformed into the Hulk on his own, and he drove his fist forward, striking the Leviathan right in the nose. The beast's face caved in, and the Hulk snarled as it kept pushing him forward. Everyone backed away as the Leviathan's backside flew up in the air, and its armored shell cracked from the shockwave of the Hulk's punch.

"Hold on!" Iron Man said, and he flew up and pointed his wrist at the Leviathan. A small rocket shout out of his wrist and attached to an exposed fleshy area beneath the monster's shell, and exploded. Captain America shielded himself and Black Widow with his shield while Sif and Thordis merely put their hands up to block the heat from the explosion. Hikesh, Hawkeye, and Carrie ducked behind a taxi, while Claire just stood amongst the flames, smiling as she took it the warm heat.

Purple blood and flesh exploded from the Leviathan's wound, and it tumbled off the side of the bridge and landed face first into the streets. It was dead before it hit the ground.

Around the cityscape, the Chitauri all saw their attack dog go down, and started howling in outrage. Their cries echoed throughout the city, and the Avengers all huddled together, glaring up at the aliens. Iron Man landed by them, and Hikesh's dark energy aura flared up around him. Claire's eyes flashed as she smirked, looking forward to the incoming fight. Archangel, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thordis, and Sif readied their weapons, while the Hulk just snarled and beat his fists together.

At long last, the Avengers had assembled.

**Well, things have finally hit top gear now that the Hulk has showed up, quoting the words of HTKWolfe777. I almost feel bad for Loki.**

**Review pleaz and have a nice day.**


	23. Phase One: The War (III)

**Chapter 23 – The War (III)**

Loki looked down at the cityscape, listening as the Chitauri cried in rage. The prince of lies scowled. So the Avengers actually managed to kill the Leviathan. No matter. There were plenty more where that came from.

"Send the rest."

ooooo

Natasha blinked as three more Leviathans soared out of the portal and slowly began to descend upon the city.

"Guys…"

Everyone looked up, and grimaced at the sight.

"Lovely." Soladat muttered.

Iron Man glanced at Captain America. "Call it, captain."

The captain blinked, and then looked serious. It was time to get in gear. "Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, our priority is containment."

He turned towards Hawkeye. "Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays."

Hawkeye nodded, readying his bow. Captain America then addressed Iron Man and Archangel. "Stark, Wrekk, you guys got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or your turn it to ash."

Soladat nodded, prepping her rifle. "You got it, cap."

"Wanna give me a lift?" Hawkeye asked Iron Man. The metal hero nodded.

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas."

Iron Man grabbed the neck of Hawkeye's shirt and rocketed off into the sky with him. He placed Hawkeye on top of a high building, where Hawkeye immediately started shooting down Chitauri flyers. Soladat unfolded her wings and prepared to follow, when Hikesh stopped her.

"Soladat." Wrekk looked at the Prothean in confusion. He sighed. "Be careful."

Soladat smiled at Hikesh, nodding, and then flew off to join Iron Man. Captain America turned to Thordis.

"Lewis, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down." He ordered. "You've got the lightning, light the bastards up."

Darcy smirked, and saluted. "Roger, Rogers."

Then, Darcy twirled the hammer around and shot off into the sky. Steve then looked at Hikesh. "Hikesh, while air team is taking down strays, I need you to put up some kind of barrier. Keep any of them from leaving the island."

Hikesh blinked. "I have never created a field of that size before. The strain of keeping it together could kill me."

The captain cursed, when Carrie spoke up. "Maybe I could do it. When I was in Chamberlain I was able to create like a kinetic barrier around the town to keep people from leaving. I can't guarantee it'll be big enough, though."

Steve looked at the girl, unsure, but eventually nodded. "Alright. Hikesh, you provide some cover for her. Me, Romanoff, Sif, and Voyant will stay on the ground and keep the fighting here. And Hulk?"

The green beast growled, turning towards the captain. The captain smirked. "Smash."

The Hulk smirked, and jumped off into the air. Everyone watched in amusement as he slammed right into the side of a building, slamming his fist right into a Chitauri soldier that was clinging to the side. With the dead soldier in hand, the Hulk leapt over to another building, impervious to the plasma blasts being shot at him. Then, like he did before, he slammed right into a Chitauri, spinning around to drive his fist into another one nearby. Throwing the alien away, the Hulk leapt higher into the air and into the path of three Chitauri flyers. With a swing of his fist, the Hulk knocked one out of the air.

"Nice." Claire said, smirking. Sif rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I suppose it's nice when he's beating someone who isn't me."

"Speak for yourself." Hikesh remarked, and Sif glared. Rolling his eyes, Captain America looked over at Carrie, and nodded.

Nodding back, Carrie reached out with her senses, locating the perimeter of the island. She sensed several flyers attempting to breach the perimeter, and glared as she seized them with her mind.

On the perimeter, the Chitauri pilots screeched in surprise as their mounts were suddenly gripped and crushed by an invisible force. With their mounts destroyed, the Chitauri fell from the sky to their deaths.

Carrie smirked. "I got it. As long as I can hold it, nothing's leaving this city."

"Great, now all we…"

The captain was interrupted when a few plasma shots exploded near them. The group looked as a squad of Chitauri marched toward them, hissing. Sif glared, raising her sword. Hikesh's green aura flared. Claire just smiled.

"This is going to be so much fun!"

ooooo

Thordis raced up to the top of the Empire State Building, gripping the side as she surveyed the city. She smiled. Oh, how she loved New York. But not when it was being besieged by aliens. Looking up at the portal, Thordis glared and pointed Mjolnir upwards.

The hammer glowed with energy and the skies above began to change and darken. Storm clouds crackled with electricity, and soon an enormous bolt of lightning shot out from the clouds and struck the hammer. Darcy grit her teeth as she felt the electricity being absorbed into her hammer, and once the lightning stopped, she grunted as she jerked her hammer upwards, unleashing an enormous electrical blast upon the portal.

Several Leviathans and flyers attempting to leave the portal were caught in the electrical torrent, howling and shrieking in pain. Soon, they were all engulfed in explosions.

ooooo

Loki grit his teeth as he watched Darcy block the portal. Suddenly, his head was overcome with pain and his flyer faltered from brief lack of control. He shook his head, and his eyes were now bright blue again. He could sense the Other's distaste on the situation.

"_This_," the Other hissed, "_is a _little _resistance_?"

Loki snarled in anger. "Your force lacks finesse!"

The Other scoffed. "_Our warriors are fearless, and welcome a glorious death._"

Loki shook his head. "That might actually be the problem."

"_Or maybe,_" the Other said, smiling, "_you just lack leadership. I'm aware that this is what resulted in your exile?_"

Loki eye twitched. "I am well capable of leading an army, creature!"

"_Then lead them, 'king'._" The Other shouted, and Loki winced. "_You wield the scepter, do you not?_"

Loki's eyes widened. "The scepter!"

ooooo

On the bridge of the Helicarrier, Fury and all the other S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel watched the battle from across numerous newscasts and hacked cellphone recordings. Fury himself watched from his usual area, looking around at the circle of terminals with an unreadable expression. He was listening intently to one particular newscast.

"This is Tiffany Snow of Amity Park, Illinois, reporting live from the Manhattan skyline." An unusually cheery reporter said. She was sitting inside of a helicopter hovering high above New York City, luckily out of the Chitauri's range. "Thirty minutes ago, what witnesses have described as a black hole has opened up above the island of Manhattan, and the city is now being besieged by a hostile force of unknown origin."

"In only a few minutes, dozens of people have been in the chaos and military forces are unsure of how to handle the situation. But precisely fifteen minutes ago, a military aircraft of some kind crashed along the Triborough Bridge, bringing with it a mysterious party that has risen in defense of the city and is combatting this hostile force. While we are still trying to get more information on the team, we are aware that Tony Stark's Iron Man is involved."

Fury was broken out of his concentration when Agent Hill came up, looking annoyed.

"Sir, the council is on."

Fury silently cursed. Of all the times… why now?

ooooo

From his perch, Hawkeye shot an arrow at a passing flyer, killing its pilot and sending it crashing below. With his superb sight, he noticed a number of flyers in pursuit of Iron Man.

"Stark," he paged, "you've got a lot of strays sniffing your tail."

From within his suit, Tony grunted as he dodged several plasma blasts. "Just trying to keep them off the streets."

"Well they can't bank with a dam." Hawkeye said, firing his arrow and shooting down another flyer without even looking in its direction. "You need to find a tight corner."

"Yeah, well roger that."

Iron Man soared upwards, racing past Hawkeye with the flyers in pursuit. Aiming his arrow, Hawkeye shot at one of the flyers, and the arrow pierced the flyer's metal base. Suddenly, the arrow started pumping super-hot temperature into the metal, burning it in half. The two halves of the flyers careened out of control and crashed into two different buildings. Iron Man fired behind him, blowing up one of the flyers while the other three resumed pursuit.

Flying low, Iron Man raced across a number of abandoned cars that the Chitauri blew up in their aimless fire. He flew through a small tunnel, coming out through the other side and swerving quickly away form a building. Three of the flyers were able to swerve and resume persuit, but one of them couldn't move in time and crashed right into the building, disappearing in a ball of fire.

"Oh, boy…" Tony groaned. Spotting a lone parking garage, Iron Man zipped down into it, and the flyers all rode in single file, barely fitting through the tight space. Iron Man moved to the side to avoid a plasma blast, accidentally scraping against the wall, and then quickly ducked to avoid a large indent in the ceiling. Two of the flyers crashed right into the ceiling, blowing up.

Now with only one flyer in pursuit, Iron Man exited the garage and fired a respulsor blast backwards, striking the nose of the flyer and causing it to spin around and crash right into a restaurant.

"Nice call." Tony said. "What else you got?"

"Well, Darcy's taking down a squadron on six." Hawkeye responded. Tony smirked.

"And she didn't invite me."

ooooo

A Leviathan growled as it soared towards an office building. Inside, several employees backed away in horror as the monster approached. Suddenly, they all heard a commotion behind them and turned to see an enormous green monster jogging at great speed towards the window.

People screamed and jumped out of the way as the Hulk plowed through the office and then jumped right out of the window, howling as it gripped onto the Leviathan's mandible.

The Leviathan screeched as it tried to shake the pest off of it, but the Hulk used his strength to tug the Leviathan way from the building, with only its fins doing a little damage to the windows.

ooooo

Elsewhere, Archangel was racing after one Chitauri flyer, which was racing past several buildings to try and shake off its pursuer. Then, the pilot quickly pointed its gun back and shot at her, and Archangel brought her wings up around her. The vibranium metals protected her from the blast, and she immediately raced up so that she was flying directly above the flyer.

She landed right on the pilot's back, and it hissed and screeched as it tried to rid itself of the unwanted hitchhiker.

Grunting, Soladat grabbed the creature's head and shoved the barrel of her sniper rifle right into its mouthed. The alien gagged in discomfort.

"Choke on this!"

Soladat pulled the trigger, and the Chitauri's head exploded. The flyer immediately started falling, and crashed into a billboard. Archangel jumped from it moments before the collision, doing a backflip and landing safely on the roof of the building that the billboard was on. She watched as the board burst into flames and fell down into the streets.

Suddenly, something shoved Archangel to the ground, and she immediately got up and glared as a Chitauri marched up to her, wielding some sort of bladed weapon.

Archangel flicked her wrist, and a sharp blade extended out of her wrist wrap. She slashed it forward, leaving a large gash in the Chitauri's chest. Hissing in pain, the Chitauri backed away, gripping its bleeding wound, and then hissed in satisfaction when two other foot soldiers came to its aid.

Pulling herself up, Soladat quickly jerked her hand forward at an advancing Chitauri, driving the blade right into its gut. The Chitauri shrieked as Archangel slammed it over to a nearby wall, slamming it face first into it.

Another one rushed forward, preparing to strike her with its rifle, but Archangel quickly lifted her rifle with the other hand and shot the Chitauri right in the face. Its head jerked back as the bullet shot through its eye, blowing purple blood everywhere, and it fell down, dead. The one she was holding against the walls started to struggle, and Archangel quickly pulled it away and then slammed it hard into the wall, and the creature hissed in pain as a few of its ribbed cracked.

Smirking, Soladat lifted the sniper rifle up to its head and pulled the trigger, killing it. She let go of the wretched creature and watched it slump to the ground.

Suddenly, the Chitauri she slashed across the chest shrieked and charged at her, colliding with her. Soladat accidentally dropped her rifle, but as soon as it hit the ground it fired and the bullet flew right into the Chitauri's ankle.

The Chitauri shrieked as it lost its footing, but Archangel grabbed it by the throat and slammed it into the ground. She punched it hard across the face, and then extended her wrist blade and yelled as she drove it into its head, killing it.

Hearing a noise, Archangel looked up to see two flyers zooming towards her. Glaring, she quickly picked up her rifle, and then saw a Chitauri plasma rifle lying nearby. Raising her eyebrow, she picked that up to and tested the feel. Smirking, she fired at one flyer with her rifle, hitting the pilot right through the head and downing it. Then, she fired the plasma rifle at the other, and the pilot screeched as the blast blew the front of the flyer.

The burning flyer quickly spun wildly to the ground and crashed on the bridge below, only a few inches away from Carrie, who yelped and shielded her eyes from the explosion.

Hikesh, who was guarding her, glared up at the rooftop that Archangel was standing on.

"Soladat!" He said through the com. "Watch what you are doing up there!"

"Sorry, Xegh." Soladat responded, and then jumped off of the building and into the sky. Hikesh just shook his head and looked back at Carrie.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Carrie said, and quickly refocused on the field. Then her eyes widened. "Look out!"

Hikesh blinked and turned around to see four Chitauri approaching. He raised his dark energy field up, shielding himself from the plasma blasts. He fired a singularity blast at them, and the resulting field suspended the Chitauri in midair. The Chitauri hissed and thrashed around, trying to break free from the field, but Hikesh lifted his hand up and manipulated the field; the Chitauri all shrieked in pain as they were torn apart molecule by molecule.

Nearby, the Black Widow was slammed against the hood of a taxi by a Chitauri, which attempted to stab her with the bladed end of its rifle. She jerked her head away and then drove her Widow Bites into its throat, pumping electrical shocks through it. The Chitauri hissed in pain and pulled away, attempting to strike the agent, but Sif, who had just bisected another Chitauri, quickly pulled the soldier off of the Widow and threw it to the ground.

The Widow watched as Sif impaled the creature with her sword.

"I had it under control." She said, frowning, but then sighed. "But thanks."

Sif nodded, and then glared as she sensed two more approaching. She spun around and slashed the sword right through one of the Chitauri's throats, and it gripped it as blood seeped through it and died. The other tried to fire its rifle, but the Widow shot it right in the race, killing it.

Sif smirked at Natasha, finding that she was starting to like the shadow agent. It was nice to see that Midgard didn't treat its women as poorly as Asgard.

A few meters away, Claire Voyant laughed as she easily dodged numerous plasma blasts thrown her way. A Chitauri hissed as it rushed at her and tried to stab her with a bladed weapon, but she parried the attack and punched it across the face, knocking it down. Another one moved in, but Claire kicked it down before it could even strike and stomped her heel straight through its chest, killing it. She let off a laugh as she did it. Another tried to sneak up behind her, but she whirled around and grabbed it by the throat.

She smirked, and took in the scent of this creature's bitter soul. It was old and mangled, but her master would make do with it. She lifted her finger up and touched the Chitauri's forehead, and there was a spark of fire as the symbol of Mephisto was engraved into its head. Claire dropped its lifeless husk, and sensed a plasma blast racing towards her.

She quickly vanished in a puff of smoke, and the smoke flew over the Chitauri that attempted to shoot her. It shot around wildly at the smoke, but then it vanished, and the Chitauri looked around, growing scared. Suddenly, a hand was impaled right through its chest, and the Chitauri gagged in pain as it died. Claire pulled her hand out of the creature's chest, and smirked down at it.

"Pathetic creature." She sneered.

Sif and Natasha fought side by side, gunning and cutting down Chitauri by Chitauri. Sif blocked several blasts with her shield, and then rushed at a group of them, screaming, and drove her sword right through its stomach. It screeched as she cut through its side, cutting it clean in half, and then swung around to bash her shield into another soldier, knocking it down. Natasha shot one right in the shoulder, causing it to double over in pain, and then she brought the pistol to the back of its head and executed it. She quickly glanced back and took two small devices from her belt, and tossed them at the feet of a Chitauri that was pointing its gun at her.

Two small bolts of electricity shot out of the devices and surged through the Chitauri's feet, and it spasmed around as the electricity ran through its body. The surged stopped and the Chitauri fell down, fried.

Sif looked at it in surprise, and then back at Natasha. "Sometime I'd like to take a look at your weaponry, Lady Romanoff."

Natasha smirked. "Maybe."

"Uh, ladies?"

Sif, Natasha, and Claire all blinked and turned towards Hikesh, who was looking up at the sky with a worried expression. They all looked up and grew wide eyed when they saw a Leviathan racing right at them.

"Not again." Natasha groaned.

Meanwhile, Carrie looked up at the approaching monstrosity, and snarled. Her brain pulsated as she reached out to the Leviathan, and with all her strength, she gripped.

Everyone looked shocked as the Leviathan let out a pain roar, and saw that its armored shell started to cave in, as if something invisible were gripping it tightly. Carrie jerked her hands down, and the Leviathan was suddenly forced down onto the bridge, which broke and crumbled beneath it.

Everyone watched from a safe distance as the Leviathan crashed through the bridge and into the streets below, and then went up in a brilliant explosion.

Carrie breathed heavily, and then gripped her head. "Ow…"

Hikesh looked at her, impressed. "Nice work."

Carrie, still breathing, gave the Prothean a smile. _Momma would freak if she saw all this_.

However, it was far from over. More and more Chitauri poured through the portal, their numbers greater than before.

Natasha grunted in annoyance when three more soldiers landed nearby, but sighed with relief when Captain American jumped down to confront them. He swung his shield, striking one right in the face and forcing it to fall flat on its back, and then delivered a right hook to another one right in the face, caving in its lower jaw. He dodged a punch from one of them and beat the creature's face with his shield, knocking it down.

Natasha was breathing in exhaustion, and shook her head at the captain. "Captain, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close."

"She is correct." Hikesh said. "Their combat skills are weak and primitive, but their numbers are sheer in might. Carrie cannot keep the barrier up for long."

"For once, I agree with the Prothean." Sif chimed in. Claire just rolled her eyes at the group. She didn't mind cutting down a few hundred more.

Steve looked up at the portal, scowling. "Our biggest guns couldn't touch it."

"Maybe it's not about guns." Natasha said. Steve looked to the side, and saw more Chitauri approaching.

"You wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride." He said.

"I got a ride. I could use a lift though." Natasha said, and then looked over at Hikesh. "Hikesh?"

Hikesh blinked, and then looked up at the flyers soaring overhead. He looked back at Natasha. "Agent Romanoff, are you sure?"

Natasha shrugged. "Yeah. It's gonna be fun."

Hikesh smirked, and his aura flared as he put his hand out towards Natasha. Natasha blinked as her body was surrounded in a green field and she started to levitate off the ground. She looked up at an approaching flyer, and quickly reached her hand out and grabbed it as it flew by.

The group watched as the Widow zoomed off, but then grunted as a few plasma shots struck the ground nearby. With the Chitauri approaching, the group resumed their battle.

**Well, that's part three. I really have nothing else to say. Next part the battle continues (duh).**


	24. Phase One: The War (IV)

**Chapter 24 – The War (IV)**

Natasha clambered up to the flyer, and the pilot and the gunman didn't even notice her. Taking out her combat knife, Natasha cut the chain keeping the gunman secured to the flyer. The gunman shrieked as Natasha kicked him off of the flyer, and then took out another knife and leapt up onto the pilot's back, driving the blades into its body.

The pilot hissed in pain as Natasha steered the blades around, directing the pilot. Her eyes widened as they approached a building.

"Okay, turn, turn, turn!" The flyer barely missed the building, and resumed flying in a safe course.

As she flew up towards Stark Tower, three Chitauri flyers dropped down from the skyline and started firing at her. As she narrowly avoided the blasts, Iron Man suddenly swooped in and shot one of them down with a repulsor blast. Archangel soared into view and landed on the rear end of one of the flyers and impaled the pilot through the head with her wrist blade. She forced his head down onto the controls, and twisted it around so that she steered right into the flyer flanking its right. As the two flyers became locked onto each other, Archangel swooped up as Iron Man fired and blew both flyers to hell.

Giving the pair a nod of appreciation, Black Widow continued to steer her way to Stark Tower. While Archangel continued to shoot down other flyers, Iron Man made a rapid descent down the bridge and plowed through a number of Chitauri foot soldiers, who screeched as he either shot them dead or just knocked them off the side of the bridge.

He landed near the land group, blasting away a Chitauri that was advancing towards Carrie. Captain America kicked one away and then brought up his shield as Iron Man pointed a repulsor blast towards him, and the captain reflected the blast sideways so it killed a few advancing drones. The reflected blast eventually came into the path of Sif, who lifted her own shield and reflected it the opposite direction, taking down even more of them.

Iron Man then glanced to his side to see Hikesh forming a large dark energy sphere above his head, and then fired two repulsor blasts into it. The blasts were caught in the sphere and in a static-like zigzag formation before Hikesh shattered it, and the stray repulsor blasts flew in every direction. Captain America and Sif brought up their shields to reflect any incoming blasts, Hikesh put a dark energy field above him and Carrie, and Claire just brought her arm up, only receiving a few minor burns.

Iron Man, on the other hand, just flew away and scaled up the side of a nearby building, blasting several Chitauri trying to climb up the side. He zoomed past Hawkeye, who shot an arrow right in the face of a Chitauri that was just about to reach the top of the building. His keen eyesight seeing a blast incoming, Hawkeye quickly ducked as the plasma blast exploded near him, and he looked in the direction of the blast and fired another arrow. The arrow impaled a Chitauri pilot right through the neck, and its flyer was sent careening off into the streets.

But before it could crash, a Leviathan zoomed by and destroyed the flyer. On the Leviathan's back, Thordis and the Hulk were beating the living crap out of several Chitauri soldiers trying to get them off. The Hulk slapped one away, and growled as two of them leaped onto his back. He pulled one off and slammed it into the Leviathan's shell and crushed it beneath his foot, and quickly pulled the other one off an threw it away.

Thordis blocked a plasma shot coming at her and swung her hammer, knocking a Chitauri's head clean off and then kicked its body off of the Leviathan. She turned to one that had its gun raised at her and beat the weapon out of its hands, and then beat the Chitauri away with her hammer. The Hulk punched and smashed every Chitauri thrown at him, and then grunted as he pulled a large piece of the Leviathan's shell off and then brought it down knifelike on the monster's neck.

The Leviathan shrieked in pain as the piece impaled through its exposed flesh. Seeing an advantage, Thordis brought Mjolnir up, drawing electrical energy into it, and then slammed it down on the piece. Electricity surged through the piece as it was driven further into the Leviathan's body, and the creature howled in agony as it plummeted from the air and crashed right into Grand Central Station.

Getting off of the dead worm, Thordis and the Hulk breathed heavily and they observed their handiwork. Smirking, Darcy gave the Hulk and pat on the shoulder.

"Nice job, green bean."

Huffing, the Hulk shot his fist out, and Darcy made an oomf as she was sent flying away into a wall. Falling to the ground, Darcy pulled herself up, her head spinning.

"Ow."

ooooo

Back on the bridge, Sif grunted as she jerked her wrist away from a Chitauri's grip and swiped at it with her sword, slashing open its chest and sending it flying backwards. She turned around quickly to kill another one, and then jerked her head at the captain.

"Captain Rogers," Steve glanced at the Asgardian, "there are too many of them! We need some kind of advantage."

The captain glared as he bashed a Chitauri away with his shield. "You got any…"

Suddenly, they heard a yelp and looked over to see Carrie gripping her arm, having been scathed by a passing plasma blast. Wide eyed, Captain America turned and glared daggers at the soldier who made the shot, and threw his shield, which cut off the Chitauri's head like a blade.

Hikesh quickly ran to Carrie side. "Are you alright?"

Carrie bit her lip, and gripped her arm. "It's not bad."

"Show me." The Prothean ordered. She moved her hand, and Hikesh saw that it was burned and bleeding badly. Carrie cringed and looked away.

"Okay," she said, "maybe it is bad."

"Nothing I can't fix."

Carrie blinked. "What…?"

The Prothean's body was surrounded by the dark energy aura, and he waved his hand over her wound. Carrie blinked in surprise as the pain vanished and the wound healed rapidly.

Hikesh finished, and pulled away, his aura vanishing. "You're welcome."

"Thanks." Carrie said, speechless. Suddenly, she glanced behind him and glared. Reaching her hand out, she telekinetically suspended three Chitauri soldiers in midair. They hissed and thrashed around, but Carrie jerked her hand to the side and the Chitauri were sent flying into the distance.

Hearing a number of hissing sounds, Hikesh turned and glared when he saw dozens of Chitauri marching towards them.

"I think it is time to change."

Carrie backed away when she saw Hikesh getting into a familiar stance. From their positions, Captain America, Sif, and Claire raised their eyebrows as Hikesh's body was surrounded in dark energy and he let out a scream. His body changed, and he suddenly in his super Prothean form again.

Captain America and Claire looked in surprise as Hikesh brought his fist back, charging a sphere of dark energy, and charged into the group of advancing Chitauri.

He plowed through the crowd, the dark energy field blowing and burning them away. Claire gave a smirk.

"Interesting."

"So that's how he does it." Sif said, wide eyed.

"What do you…?" Captain America started to say, but Hawkeye came in on the com.

"Captain, they've got civilians trapped in the bank."

Cursing, Captain America immediately marched towards the bank.

ooooo

Beth yelped as the Chitauri pushed her through a door and into the bank. She looked around to see an entire crowd of terrified civilians stuffed into the room, and she looked back to see the Chitauri closing the door. Looking up, Beth paled to three more of those things standing up on the second floor and pointing at them with those weird guns.

People whimpered and panicked as the creatures communicated through some garbled language, still pointing their guns at them.

Beth looked to her right to see the family that she was serving earlier huddled together. The little girl looked up at the Chitauri in fear.

"Mommy, what are they?"

But her mother just shook her head, looking just as scared as she was. "I… I don't know…"

Above, one of the Chitauri pulled out a strange box-shaped device. Flipping a switch, the Chitauri hissed in satisfaction when a blue light suddenly started flashing and the device started beeping. He prepared to throw it down into the crowd, when suddenly, Captain America jumped in through the window and hurled his shield, hitting the Chitauri right in the face and knocking its helmet off.

The other two Chitauri shrieked in surprise and pointed their rifles at the captain, firing a barrage of plasma blasts that the captain jumped away from. Hiding behind a fallen desk, the captain kicked the desk and sent it sliding into the two Chitauri.

One of them was knocked away, but the other got up and tried shooting at the captain again. Steve luckily jumped at the creature and delivered a punch to its gut. As the Chitauri doubled over in pain, Captain America grabbed its head and twisted it, hard. He through the dead alien down into the crowd, and everyone backed away as the Chitauri's corpse landed right in the center of the room.

Captain America leaned over the railing. "Everyone clear out!"

Suddenly, he gagged as the Chitauri he knocked down with the desk came in behind him and gripped his head, attempting to gouge out his eyes. In the process, his mask was pulled off.

Down below, everyone watched in amazement, when they heard a bamf-like noise. Looking back, they gasped when they saw a blonde woman had appeared in a puff of smoke. She smirked at them.

"Well?" She said, and everyone just backed away, slightly scared. "Are you just going to gawk at me all day, or are you going to get out of here."

Obediantly, the crowd immediately dispersed from the bank. Beth took a quick glance upwards to see Captain America still struggling. The third Chitauri, the one who had its face struck with the shield, shook its head and grabbed its weapon, trying to blast the restrained captain.

Captain America quickly leapt over his attacker's shoulder, forcing the Chitauri to take the fatal blasts.

While the captain dropped the dead alien, the other Chitauri heard the beeping sound, and shrieked in alarm when he saw the bomb was about to blow.

The Chitauri scrambled to grab the bomb, and just as it was about to throw it at Captain America, it exploded. Captain America jumped up and brought his shield up to protect himself, and was blown out the window and onto a taxi. The vehicle was crushed beneath his weight, and the captain pulled himself up, grunting in pain from the impact.

Hearing the sound of vehicles, Steve blinked and looked up to see numerous tanks and Humvees had arrived. The National Guard swarmed in, its soldiers firing up at the Chitauri flyers, managing to shoot several of them down. In retaliation, the flyers shot down at some of the soldiers, taking a few of them out.

As both sides exchanged blows, Beth and numerous other civilians exited the bank. Blinking, Beth saw Captain America, but wasn't able to get a good look at his face as she was forced along with the other civilians.

ooooo

"Director Fury, the council has made a decision."

Fury gave the council a glare. "I recognize that the council has made a decision. But given that it's a stupid ass decision, I've elected to ignore it."

The council blinked in surprise, and then glared back at Fury. The man in the center gave Fury a demanding tone. "Director, you're closer than any of our subs, you scramble that jet…"

"That is the island of Manhattan, councilman!" Fury barked. Nearby, Agent Hill listened on in shock. What the council was suggesting… she never thought they'd actually go that far.

"Until I'm certain my team can't hold it, I will not order a nuclear strike against a civilian population." Fury clarified.

The councilman glared back at the director. "Don't be stupid, director! If we don't hold them in the air, we lose everything!"

"No more than we already have." Fury said, and immediately cut contact. He looked back at Agent Hill, who just looked back with a worried expression.

ooooo

Natasha ducked as she swerved away from several plasma blasts. Looking back, she glared when she saw Loki pursuing her.

Relentless, Loki snarled as he tried to shoot the Widow down. Taking her com, Natasha paged a friend for assistance.

"Hawkeye!"

Blinking, Hawkeye lowered his bow and looked around. He looked surprised to see Natasha piloting a flyer.

"Nat, what are you doing?"

"I'll explain later!" Natasha yelled. "A little help, please?"

"Don't worry, Natasha!" A new voice came in. "I've got him."

Blinking, Natasha looked up to see Archangel swoop in. Pointing her rifle at Loki, she made a few shots, and Loki grunted as they hit the back of his helmet. Looking back, he glared to see Soladat swooping in from above. The flyer jerked as she landed on the rear and continued shooting, but Loki just grunted as he swung his fist at her.

Soladat ducked away from the fist and plunged her wrist blade into an exposed area beneath his robe. Loki yelled as the blade penetrated his flesh, but not very deep considering his superhuman durability. Archangel attempted to beat him with the barrel of her rifle, but Loki grabbed the gun with his other hand, and the two struggled with each other.

Eventually, Loki grunted as he pulled his head back and bashed his helmet right into Archangel's head. Grunting Soladat stumbled back, keeping her balance so not to fall of the flyer. Loki prepared to strike her again, when his senses flared up.

Jerking his hand out, he grabbed an arrow that was aimed for his head. Loki smirked in Hawkeye's direction. Foolish mortal. Did he really think a mere arrow could stop…

Loki blinked when the arrow suddenly started beeping, and Archangel's eyes widened in realization as she brought her wings up around her body.

The arrow exploded, and Loki and Archangel were sent flying towards Stark Tower. While Loki landed with a thud on the viewing platform outside of Stark's bar/living room. Above, Natasha smirked at the sight and quickly leapt off of her flyer and landed safely on the roof of Stark Tower.

Loki looked up in rage, and surveyed what was happening to his army. The Avengers were picking them all off with ease, and Earth's forces, this National Guard, were actually faring well against them. There was only one Leviathan left in the city. Loki shook his head. This wasn't right! This wasn't how it was supposed to go!

Suddenly, he heard a noise and looked to see Archangel swoop down safely and land a few meters away from him. She pointed her rifle at him.

"I know this won't kill you." She said. "But frankly I don't care. Look around you. We're beating you. Your army is lost and scattered. You've lost!"

"No." Loki hissed. "I am a god! I never lose! Especially to mortals like…"

Suddenly, a loud roar was heard and Archangel and Loki looked over to see the Hulk jumping up towards Loki. Archangel blinked as the Hulk zoomed right past her, the wind making her curly hair flutter around wildly, and grabbed Loki. The Hulk smashed through the window and into Stark's happy home, and Loki was sent flying into the wall, slamming right into it. The wall crumbled from the impact, and Loki grunted as he fell face first onto the floor.

Immediately getting up, Loki snarled as the Hulk beat his fists together and approached him.

"ENOUGH!" Loki yelled. The Hulk grunted in confusion and stopped.

"You are all of you beneath me!" Loki hissed defiantly. "I am a god, you dull creature! And I will not be bullied by-Ack!"

The Hulk grabbed Loki by the legs and started smashing him against the floor repeatedly. From outside, Archangel smirked as she pulled out her phone.

"Well, I guess somebody should get this on video."

She cringed as the Hulk continued to smash Loki around, eventually slamming him into the ground with great force. Loki looked up in shock as the Hulk growled down at him, and then left the room. Moving past Archangel, he glanced at her and then back at Loki.

"Puny god."

Archangel smirked, closed her phone, and flew off with the Hulk. Behind them, Loki whimpered in pain, now more wounded physically than he had ever been.

ooooo

Elsewhere across the world, Jane Foster watched the battle from the news in her observatory in Traunsee. After Darcy had been pulled off to help with their little Asgardian problem, Jane was asked to consult the Traunsee observatory very suddenly the next day. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote.

She watched in awe as the Avengers battled the Chitauri, and looked as her friend displayed particular strength in the battle.

She jumped however, when the phone started ringing. Not taking her eyes off the TV, Jane picked up the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"Jane?"

Jane blinked. "Mrs. Lewis?"

"Yes it's me." Darcy's mother said. "Are you seeing what's happening?"

"You mean New York?" Jane said. "Yeah, I am."

"Jane, I need to ask you something." Mrs. Lewis said, sounding serious. "I've tried calling Darcy, but she hasn't answered. But that woman, that girl with the hammer. I saw her face. Jane is Darcy…"

Jane paled, and didn't answer. On the other line, Mrs. Lewis paled as well. "Jane, what's happening? Tell me what's really going on here."

Jane sighed. "Okay, just listen…"

**And there's part four. Loki's seeing stars, lol. Review pleaz.**


	25. Phase One: The War (V)

**Chapter 25 – The War (V)**

Natasha stared wide-eyed at the device firing the blue beam up into the sky, forming the portal from which the Chitauri were pouring through. She rushed over to the terminal, trying to find some way to hack it, but all options were blocked.

"Loki's scepter."

Natasha blinked, and looked over to see Dr. Selvig, now conscious, his eyes no longer bright blue, a sign that Loki's control was broken. There was a large cut on his head, left from a piece of shrapnel blown off of the device when Iron Man attempted to destroy it.

"Doctor." Natasha said, and quickly helped Erik to his feet.

"Loki's scepter." He repeated, rubbing his head. "The Tesseract can't fight. You can't protect against yourself."

Natasha put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. You didn't know what you were doing."

"Actually, I did. For a while, anyway." Erik said. Natasha's brows furrowed in confusion. Seeing this, Erik quickly explained.

"A part of me was still in control, wanting to do what was right." He said. "I built in a safety to cut the power source."

Realization dawned on Natasha. "Loki's scepter."

Erik nodded. "It might be able to close the portal."

Erik leaned over the edge of the building, staring down at the viewing platform on the edge of Stark's lounge area. Sitting there was the scepter.

"And I'm looking right at it."

ooooo

Thordis struggled with the pilot of the flyer she had landed on, and with a grunt, she swung her hammer and sent the Chitauri falling. The flyer started to fly out of control, and before Thordis could fly away, a Leviathan burst out of the building she was flying towards. Her eyes widened as it collided with the flyer, and she screamed as she fell from the skyline.

The Leviathan sailed onwards, not caring about the buildings in collided with. It didn't even notice Iron Man flying alongside it, firing his tri-barreled laser weapons at it. However, it didn't even scratch it.

"_Sir_," JARVIS said, "_we will lose power before we can penetrate that shell._"

Cursing, Iron Man quickly raced ahead of the Leviathan, doing a quick turn so that he was racing right towards it.

"JARVIS?" Tony said. "You ever hear the tale of Jonah?"

"I wouldn't consider him a role model." JARVIS responded, realizing Stark's intent. Smirking, Iron Man raced right through the Leviathan's gaping maw. As he barreled through its insides, he unleashed all of his explosive ammunition. The Leviathan spasmed and howled in pain as it was blown apart from the inside, with with a large explosion, Iron Man burst out of its rear.

As the wounded Leviathan plummeted from the sky, Iron Man yelled as he fell and crashed right through a bus stop and skidded across the concrete. Eventually, he stopped himself, but as he got up, his eyes widened as he saw several Chitauri advancing.

He raised his hand to fire a repulsor blast, but one Chitauri shot him twice, knocking him off his feet.

On the rooftop above, the Hulk and Archangel dispatched several foot soldiers, when a plasma blast hit the Hulk's shoulder. Howling in anger, the Hulk looked up to see dozens of Chitauri flyers hovering around them. He roared in defiance at the aliens while Archangel took a quick shot at one of them. The Chitauri responded by bombarding them with plasma blasts. His eyes widening, the Hulk quickly shielded Archangel from the blasts with his body, and howled in pain as he was mercilessly bombarded with searing hot plasma.

ooooo

On the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, a lone pilot stealthily entered a jet, preparing for take-off. The jet was armed with a tactical nuclear missile.

"Director Fury is no longer in command." The voice of the British councilwoman said on the com. "Proceed as ordered."

"Copy." The pilot said.

On the bridge, Agent Hill detected the jet making its leave. "Sir, we have a rogue bird making an unauthorized departure!"

"Damnit!" Fury said. He quickly left the bridge, ignoring the shouts from Agent Hill, and navigated his way to the armory. Grabbing a bazooka, he quickly found his way outside, and spotted the jet racing across the runway.

Aiming the bazooka, Fury shot it right at the jet, blowing its wing off and rendering it immobile.

Fury smirked in satisfaction, but it was quickly replaced with a grimace when he spotted another jet leaving. Taking out his pistol, Fury made several futile shots at the jet, and cursed as it vanished into the distance.

Going back inside, Fury contemplated the situation. Maybe he should call Archangel, have her intercept it. No. Even with her skill Archangel wouldn't be fast enough to catch a nuclear warhead. There was only one person he knew who could do this.

"Stark?" Fury said into the com. "Are you hearing this? There's a missile headed straight for the city!"

ooooo

Tony's eyes widened in shock as he tried to get up. "How long?"

Tony grunted when a Chitauri struck his head with the blunt end of its rifle. He pulled his hand out and shot several of them down with his repulsor blasts, but more just seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

"Three minutes, at best." Fury said.

"Got it." Tony said. "JARVIS, put everything we got into the thrusters!"

"_I just did, sir._" JARVIS said. Iron Man's thrusters immediately activated and rocketed off into the sky. One Chitauri grabbed onto his leg to stop him, but Iron Man shot it right in the face, sending its dead body falling to the ground.

ooooo

As New York came into view, the pilot put his hand on the trigger. He hesitated briefly, wondering if what he was doing was right. But he couldn't disobey the council.

Taking in a deep breath, the pilot unleashed the heavy load.

The missile raced towards Manhattan, and the pilot paged his superiors. "Package is sent."

ooooo

Hikesh, his aura flaring, barreled through dozens of Chitauri. He grabbed one by the head, and slammed it into the concrete. Stomping over its body, he swung his arm out, and an energy field surrounded six of the aliens and slammed them into a nearby building. Lifting both hands out, Hikesh unleashed two supercharged dark energy blasts, and sent the Chitauri and every car and piece of rubble in its path flying several hundred meters back.

Captain America and Sif fought side by side, striking out at all the advancing Chitauri. Behind them, Claire Voyant grabbed one by the head and ripped it clean off. She turned to another Chitauri and bashed the severed head right into its skull, knocking it back. Near them, Carrie telekinetically shoved two soldiers away, and then saw several more advancing. Looking to her left, she noticed a car with his fuel spilling. Looking up into the sky, she spotted a lone flyer and quickly jerked it out of the area and sent it crashing into the car. The explosion ignited the gas, and the ensuing blast decimated all the advancing Chitauri.

Captain America bat one away with his shield, but then grunted in pain as a blast hit him right in the lower torso, and he fell down face first. Sif snarled as she glared at the attacker, and prepared to charge, when suddenly, Thordis dropped down from the sky and glared daggers at the Chitauri.

"Earth is not your salad bar!" She yelled, and hit a car with her hammer, sending it barreling into the Chitauri, plowing them down and crushing them into a second car.

Smirking, Darcy quickly turned to Steve, who was being helped up by Sif. Gripping his side, Steve looked at Darcy in appreciation. Claire just stared at Darcy bemusedly.

"'Earth is not your _salad bar_'?" Claire asked.

Darcy shrugged. "What? I'm not Stark."

Steve just rolled his eyes. Sif smirked at him. "You ready for another bout, Captain?"

Steve smirked. "Why? You ladies gettin' sleepy?"

"Not even remotely." Carrie said from behind.

ooooo

Gripping Loki's scepter, Natasha marched up towards the device, and noticed that the gem's glow started to intensify as it drew closer to the Tesseract. Erik smiled, and then typed in the computer and pointed at the device.

"Right through there!"

Nodding, Natasha slowly pushed the scepter through the barrier, and smiled as it actually went through. Before she could make direct contact with the Tesseract, she paged the others on the com.

"I can close it!" She said. "Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down!"

The other Avengers breathed a sigh of relief, and Captain America immediately responded.

"Do it!"

"No wait!" The voice of Tony Stark said. Captain America blinked in confusion.

"Stark, these things are still coming!"

"I've got a nuke coming in." Stark said. "It's gonna blow in less than a minute!"

The Avengers all looked shocked at this. Surely Fury wouldn't order this? From her position, Archangel glared, realizing the Council must have ordered this. She and the Hulk continued to take down numerous Chitauri, having overcome the brutal bombardment from earlier.

Down on the ground, Darcy looked at Hikesh and Carrie. "Can't you guys stop it?"

Hikesh shook his head. "Neither of us have any knowledge of dismantling a nuclear weapon. Trying to stop it by force would cause it to detonate."

"Well, at least you'll all go down with a bang." Claire said, smirking. Everyone glared at her, when Stark suddenly spoke up.

"Don't worry, kids." Stark said. "I've got it!"

Every blinked, and looked up to see Iron Man race by, holding the missile above his head. "And I know just where to put it."

Captain America's eyes widened in realization. "Stark, you know that's a one way trip."

Inside his suit, Tony sighed. "Save the rest for the return, cap."

"_Sir?_" JARVIS piped in, sounding worried for his master. "_Shall I try Ms. Potts?_"

Tony sighed. "Might as well."

JARVIS immediately called for Pepper, but after a few minutes, there was no response. Iron Man grunted as Stark Tower came into view, and he started forcing the missile upwards so as not to hit the building. Putting more power into his thrusters, he scaled up the tower, flying past Natasha and Dr. Selvig, who watched in amazement as Iron Man flew threw the portal with the missile in hand.

ooooo

On the Helicarrier, all S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel cheered as the missile was taken from the city. Agent Hill breathed a sigh of relief, and settled in her chair. Fury smiled in satisfaction, but frowned when Iron Man didn't return immediately.

ooooo

Tony gasped in awe at the spectacle. There were stars and cosmic embodiments everywhere, but the most noticeable thing was the enormous space station in the distance. From what he could see, hundreds of Chitauri flyers and Leviathans were flying from it.

"_Sir, power is…_" JARVIS' voice was silenced as the Mark VII suddenly lost power, unable to survive in space. Tony gasped as his oxygen supply started to plummet, and he released the missile, which continued to race towards the station.

As Iron Man started to fall back through the portal, he watched as the missile hit the station, which was soon engulfed in an enormous explosion.

As he watched his enemies burn, Tony lost consciousness.

ooooo

Around New York, all of the Chitauri forces suddenly spasmed and dropped dead. The Avengers blinked as their enemies suddenly fell, flyers and Leviathans falling out of the sky and crashing into the streets.

Darcy smiled. "He did it!"

He comrades looked around, smiling at their victory, but then looked back up at the portal to see no sign of Stark.

"But what about Stark?" Hikesh asked.

On the roof of Stark Tower, Natasha hesitated at closing the portal, glaring up and waiting for Stark to return.

"Come on, Stark." She said.

A few more moments passed, and still no sign of Iron Man. The Avengers could see the explosion from the missile drawing close. Sighing, Captain America paged Black Widow.

"Close it."

Grunting, Natasha forced the scepter to make contact with the Tesseract, and there was a spark of blue energy, and the device suddenly shut down. The blue beam disappeared, and the portal started to close.

But moments before it did, Iron Man fell through, and started plummeting towards the city.

Below, Soladat, Darcy, and Carrie sighed in relief, and Natasha, Hikesh, and Sif smirked.

"Well what do you know." Claire said, surprised.

"Son of a gun." Captain America said, smiling. However, Iron Man didn't appear to be trying to slow his descent.

Sif's eyes widened. "He's not slowing down!"

"I'll catch him." Darcy said, and started twirling Mjolnir. Before she could race off though, the Hulk suddenly jumped in, catching Iron Man, and scaled alongside a building as the momentum of Stark's descent continued to push down on them. Then, the two slammed into a taxi, the Hulk unharmed and tossing Iron Man's motionless form to the side.

The Avengers, minus Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Archangel, immediately crowded around him, and Darcy pulled his helmet off and threw it aside. They all looked at him, waiting for some witty response, but he was out. He appeared dead.

"Oh my god…" Carrie said, turning away and covering her mouth. Everyone else just sighed at him.

"He was a great warrior." Hikesh said.

But the Hulk just shook his head, not believing it, and let out a loud roar. Tony immediately woke with a start, yelping from the howl. Everyone blinked, and smiled.

"What the hell?" Tony said, panting. "What happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me!"

Suddenly, Darcy grabbed him by the shoulders, looking pissed.

"What the hell? Why didn't you just let the missile go before you flew into the portal?" She started shaking him, hard. "Seriously, what is the matter with you!"

"Darcy!" Carrie said, and Sif tried to pull the thunder goddess off of Stark, but she didn't budge.

"Darcy, stop it, you're gonna kill him!" Sif yelled. Darcy blinked, and immediately let the inventor go. He fell on his back, hard, and groaned, rubbing his head.

"Sorry." Darcy said, smiling sheepishly.

Tony frowned. "Whatever. So what happened?"

Captain America sighed, and looked around at the ruined cityscape. "We won."

"Whoo." Tony said. "Okay, great. Yay. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma?"

The group just looked at him, shaking their heads and smiling. Even after all that he still had his inane sense of humor.

"There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here." Tony said. "I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it."

Suddenly, everyone turned as Archangel landed nearby, smiling. "We did it! We kicked alien ass, people!"

Hikesh smiled. "Indeed we did, Soladat."

Soladat, seeing Hikesh's new form for the first time, blinked. "Xegh? How did… why are… Damn what did I miss?"

Hikesh smirked. "Yes, it's been quite a day. If my form scares you I can change back."

"No, its fine." Soladat said, looking him up and down. She smirked. "It's actually a good look."

Hikesh smirked at her. Everyone listened in in confusion, while Claire just rolled her eyes.

"Oh, for god's sake, just kiss and get it over with." She mumbled. Soladat and Hikesh glared at the demoness.

Sif suddenly remembered something. "We're not finished yet."

Everyone looked up, and followed the Asgardian's gaze to the top of Stark Tower. Below, Tony just looked around at the group.

"Then shawarma after?"

ooooo

Hissing in pain, Loki pulled himself out of the floor, and gathered enough strength to crawl. He blinked. The noise of the Chitauri outside had stopped. That would mean…

His eyes wide, Loki turned, and saw all of the Avengers standing around him. They all glared down at the prince of lies, Hawkeye and Archangel pointing their weapons at him. He saw Black Widow holding his scepter, and Thordis and Sif just smirked at their longtime enemy, enjoying his predicament. The Hulk growled, eager to pound the god into the dirt.

Blinking, Loki looked down, sighing in surrender. "If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."

Tony just chuckled. "You won't be getting it, now."

"Right." Darcy said, twirling her hammer. "Your daddy's gonna give you quite the pattling when you get home."

"It's a shame none of you will be able to see it." Sif added.

Loki glared, and then jumped when Claire Voyant suddenly appeared next to him, smirking at him.

"I'm so sorry things didn't work out the way you planned, Loki." She said, feigning hospitality. But then she smiled seductively. "But if it makes you feel any better, I think your absolutely _delicious_."

Loki blinked, and then sighed, falling back and staring at the ceiling.

_Women_.

**And so, the battle of New York is now over. Poor Loki, beaten to a pulp by Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But you got to admit. He was pretty outmatched to begin with. Fight was still awesome anyway.**

**Next chapter, the Avengers take a shawarma break, and chat amongst themselves.**


	26. Phase One: Shawarma

**Chapter 26 – Shawarma**

It had been an hour since the portal was closed. An hour since the Avengers stopped a megalomaniacal alien mischief god from taking over the world. An hour since humanity's views on the limits of reality changed forever. In that one hour, S.H.I.E.L.D. finally sent a detachment to New York to pick up Dr. Selvig and Loki. Loki could have easily put up a fight, if he still had the strength after what the Hulk did to him. Or rather, if he even wanted to.

If anything, Loki wanted to be as far away from New York as possible. The city and the dead Chitauri forces littered throughout its streets were only a harsh reminder of his failure.

S.H.I.E.L.D. also confiscated the Tesseract, Selvig's device, Loki's scepter, and were as of now trying to cleanup any form of Chitauri technology they could recover. The police and National Guard forces were assisting in taking any surviving civilians to safety.

Now on the subject of the nuclear missile, to say Fury was pissed would be a complete understatement. He had denied every call from the council, and even had Agent Hill slice into the systems to sever any connection attempt through every cellular device in the S.H.I.E.L.D. transit radius. He knew exactly what to expect if he answered their calls. He would just get an earful of criticisms regarding his 'questionable methods', which, ironically, saved the entire human race from subjugation.

As for the Avengers, they heeded Stark's request at getting shawarma. Currently, there were all gathered around a table in an empty shawarma restaurant that was, miraculously, unscathed by the Chitauri assault. As of now they were the only patrons in the joint.

And they wouldn't have it any other way.

They all looked worse for wear. They were each bruised, tired, and scarred. Tony was once again in civilian garb. Bruce was now human and fully clothed, courtesy of Stark. Steve was still in his uniform, but his cowl as lost in the battle and he left his shield back up at Stark Tower. Darcy had left Mjolnir up at Stark Tower, and was now in her mortal form. Soladat had removed her tunic, now wearing a skin tight black tank top that was underneath. Her hair was now down, and all bedhead-like. Hikesh had slowly shrunk down back to his normal Prothean form, and looked absolutely exhausted. Sif still had her weapons and armor, as she just couldn't part with her sword. Carrie had a major headache, while Clint and Natasha just sat still, unnerved. Claire just sat with her legs crossed, sipping on a glass of water. She was the only one not eating.

The adrenaline of the battle had finally worn off, but they were all still sore. Munching on a beef shawarma wrap, Bruce looked over at Tony.

"Great idea, Tony. I think this is something we all deserve after all we've been through."

Tony just shrugged, eating his chicken wrap. "Well, you guys kind of owed me dinner for all this."

"I think you owe me for having to wait to keep that portal open." Natasha said, frowning. "You had us all worried there."

"I'm touched, Agent Romanoff." Tony said, smirking. "Maybe when this is over, you and I can…"

"No." Natasha said sternly.

"I thought you already had a girlfriend?" Soladat said, raising an eyebrow at Stark.

"I do." Tony quickly said. "I wouldn't actually cheat on Pepper. I was just kidding with Romanoff."

"Great to know." Natasha said sarcastically.

"So," Tony said, stretching his arms behind his head, "thoughts on the shawarma?"

"It's good." Bruce replied contently as he chewed.

"Indeed." Hikesh said, chewing on a beef wrap. He studied it closely. "In my cycle, we were not as… artistic in creating our meals."

"It's a lot better than what Jane cooks up at the lab." Darcy said. Beside her, Sif gulped down a monstrous mouthful of veal shawarma.

"You mortals surprise me around every turn." She said. "I must say I've misjudged you all. You have impressive warriors, reasonable technology, and incredible sustenance."

Sif took a mug that was laying near her plate, and eyed the dark drink curiously. Taking a sip, her eyes widened, and she drank it dry.

"Incredible." She said. "What do you call this?"

"That's coffee." Carrie said, chewing carefully on a turkey wrap.

"It's good." Sif said, and suddenly yelled, "Another!"

Everyone jumped when she suddenly smashed the mug against the floor. They all looked at her with shock.

"Why did you do that?" Darcy asked.

Sif looked confused. "Because I wanted another."

"Well why didn't you just ask for another?" Steve asked, frowning.

"I did." Sif said, frowning. "I said I wanted another."

"We mean ask nicely." Tony said. "Without the smashing. That's the Hulk's job."

Bruce frowned at Tony, while Sif just shrugged. "I didn't mean to cause any offense. It's just customary in Asgard."

"I still find it humorous." Hikesh interjected. "That our creations have adapted to their own society. I am curious as to how you adapted to such… customs."

Sif glared. "I am still unwilling to believe any of that is true."

Hikesh just shrugged. "I don't expect you to."

Sif glared at the Prothean, but Darcy quickly stepped in. "Okay. No more fighting. We just stopped an alien invasion, so let's just sit down and eat. And no more smashing. Alright?"

Sif frowned at the group, and then sighed. "Very well."

Tony smiled, and then eyed Voyant, and frowned. "Yo, Voyant. You just gonna sit there sipping on water all day?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "I don't eat, Stark."

"So then what's your secret?" He asked. "If you can throw Loki around and tear apart aliens, you have to have some dietary techniques."

Claire smirked. "You keep thinking that, playboy."

"And Carrie." Tony said. From across the table, Carrie blinked up at the inventor. "You managed to pull through all this with just a few Jedi mind tricks. Saying I'm impressed would be an understatement."

"A what trick?" Steve said, blinking.

Ignoring Steve, Carrie blushed. "Um… thanks, Mr. Stark."

"So those powers of yours." Tony said. "You ever use them just for fun? To tip off some jerk who's bugging you?"

Carrie immediately frowned. "As a matter of fact I did. But last I remember, that didn't end well for a lot of people. So I've kept my distance since then, thank you."

"Aw come on." Tony said, smirking. "Not once?"

"Oh leave the kid alone, Tony." Soladat said, rolling her eyes. "She doesn't need any of your smartass comments right now."

"Now, Archangel I didn't mean any disrespect." Tony said, smirking. "I just wanna know if the White Queen had any of her nasty streak left in… ACK!"

Everyone blinked when Tony's chair was suddenly pulled out from under him and he fell flat on the floor. Everyone immediately burst into laughter, and Tony pulled himself up and glared at Carrie, who just smiled at him smugly.

"That wasn't funny!" He said.

"I have no idea what your talking about, Stark." Carrie said, taking another bite of her shawarma. "Please try not to be as clumsy in the future. If more aliens come knocking on our door later, we don't need you falling on your butt again."

Tony just grumbled and continued eating his food.

From her point of the table, Natasha wiped her face with a napkin and put her wrap back on the plate. She looked over at Sif.

"So now that Prince Charming has hit rock bottom, what do you plan to do now?"

Sif swallowed another mouthful. "He will be taken back to Asgard, and face judgment from our king."

"That's the least that bastard deserves." Soladat said, glaring.

"I know." Sif said, taking another bite. "But I don't get any say on the matter."

"It's not like Odin would kill him, right?" Darcy said. "I mean he wouldn't actually kill his last son."

"Odin is cold. But not that cold." Sif said. "In fact, his meeting with you has made him much more lenient. He now searches for matters of peace rather than war now."

"Well, Lewis, sounds like you've become quite the messiah." Clint said.

"I'd like to know more about this army of his." Natasha said. "An army of that size had to have come from someone, right?"

"Loki did make mention of a benefactor." Sif said. "Whoever it was, he was strong enough to threaten Loki, and even knew secrets about the Tesseract that even Odin was not aware of."

Soladat noticed that Carrie's face had gone pale, and she blinked at Sif. "Did Loki ever say what this guy looked like?"

Sif shook her head. "No. But whoever he is, he's worlds away. It's not like he can do any damage from where he is."

"Don't be so sure." Claire murmured, sipping more water.

"People please!" Tony said, putting his hands up. "We just stopped a war, no need to make talk of another one!"

Everyone just rolled their eyes, and continued to enjoy their meals. After a few moments of silence, Bruce spoke up.

"I've got to hand it to Fury." He said. "I didn't think this idea would work, bringing all of us together. I was wrong."

"Yeah, the man works in mysterious ways." Soladat said, smiling.

"I'll say." Tony said. "The guy has eyes everywhere, no pun intended. He has lots of people out there in line for this little hero league of his."

"Interesting." Hikesh said, having finished his meal. "And how did you find this out?"

"I hacked S.H.I.E.L.D.'s personal records."

"Again?" Steve said, eyebrows raised. "Why?"

"I got bored." Tony said, shrugging as if it weren't a big deal. "After S.H.I.E.L.D. took Loki away again, I told JARVIS to dig through Fury's personal files, and I found more fascinating intel."

"What kind of intel?" Natasha said, her eyes narrowed.

"Well, geez, where do I start?" Tony said, and everyone sweat dropped. "Did you know he has tons of reports of nearly every high-profile being and organization in the world? Take this for example, there's a group of kids living in the sewers of Gunnison, Colorado, each with different superpowers. And there are sightings of someone in New York with supernatural powers. Fury believes that the person's identity is Sara Pezzini, an NYPD homicide detective. And then there's the legendary Slender Man. Turns out, his real name is Victor Surge. Need I go on?"

"No, you need not." Soladat said, glaring. "That's classified material. You don't need to go pushing through it all."

Tony shrugged. "Fine. But you're all missing out."

"You guys think this would all make a good movie?" Carrie suddenly said. Everyone looked up at her in surprise.

"A movie?" Sif said, blinking. "What's a movie?"

"A movie is a series of still images which, when shown on a screen, creates the illusion of moving images. Humans use it as a means of entertainment." Hikesh explained. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "I've been living on Earth for a year. I have adapted to some of their customs."

"Right." Bruce said, and then looked back at Carrie. "A movie, Carrie? Isn't that kind of pushing it a little?"

Carrie shrugged. "It's just a suggestion."

"Who would make it? Disney?" Clint asked.

"Are you kidding?" Tony said. "Disney's area of expertise is mice in overalls and singing princesses. There's no way they'd be able to pull off a movie like this. But if there was a movie based on all this, Chloe Moretz would play Carrie."

"Chloe Moretz?" Clint said, eyebrow raised. "That kid from Kick-Ass?"

"Yup." Tony said nodding. "If she can play badass vigilante, I'm sure she can play a badass girl with telekinetic powers. Now Brucey here…"

"Oh god, please leave me out of this…" Bruce said, shaking his head.

"Bruce, could be played by…" Tony thought for a moment. "Edward Norton."

"Norton?" Natasha said. "I don't know, Stark. The guy has little emotion on screen. If he did play Banner in a movie, I don't think he'd last to long."

"Maybe Brad Pitt could play Captain America." Soladat said, smirking.

Steve blinked. "Who's Brad Pitt?"

But no one even seemed to hear him.

"Are you serious?" Tony said to Soladat. "Freddie Prince, Jr. has a better chance than that guy. Who do you think would play me?"

"I don't know." Bruce said, shrugging. "Maybe Robert Downey, Jr.? You kinda look like him."

"Downey?" Tony said, incredulously. "I'll admit, the man did a good job as Sherlock Holmes, but the guy has a past full of drugs and failed marriage."

"So do you, really." Natasha said, smirking. Tony just frowned at her.

"I don't know, guys." Clint said. "The only person I know who could match Tony's personality on screen would be Johnny Depp. Every role that man's played makes me wonder if the guy is on crack or just out of his mind."

"I am not that bad!" Tony said, glaring. Everyone just chuckled.

"Come on." Soladat said, frowning. "Depp's to much of a pretty boy. Stark's a crazy kind of Howard Hughes character. I'd rather see someone with more of an eccentric range."

"Don't underestimate Johnny Depp, Archangel." Clint said, smirking. "A lot of people tag im with that pretty boy label, but he's actually one of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood at the moment. Picture him doing Ed Wood in an Iron Man suit and you've got Tony Stark up there in celluloid."

"Yeah, I can see that." Natasha said, smirking. Tony just rolled his eyes.

"What about the alien brigade?" Soladat said, referring to Sif, Darcy, and Hikesh.

"The Prothean would be done with CGI, obviously." Tony said. "Darcy, maybe Lindsay Lohan, or Kat Dennings."

"Who's Kat Dennings?" Carrie asked.

Tony shrugged. "Lesser known actress. Only chose her cuz she looks more like Darcy. As for Sif, maybe Jaimie Alexander. I heard Joss Whedon was gonna make a Wonder Woman movie with her playing the lead, but didn't pull through as planned."

"Who is this Woman of Wonder?" Sif asked. "She sounds like quite the warrior."

"Kinda like you." Tony said. "Only nicer."

Sif frowned, and Claire suddenly spoke up. "You all seem to have a knack for this casting thing. Who do you think they could get to play me?"

Tony looked the demoness up and down, and smiled. "Yvonne Strahovksi."

Natasha frowned. "And why Yvonne Strahovski? Voyant's not even Australian."

"No. But she has the curves and the badass frown." Tony said, smirking at Claire, who just rolled her eyes and took another drink of water.

"What about Fury?" Bruce asked.

"Samuel L. Jackson, definitely." Soladat said immediately. "No question."

Everyone immediately agreed. Suddenly, Darcy yelled.

"Hey!"

Everyone blinked and looked at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Darcy said, shrugging. "I haven't said anything for a while."

The Avengers just looked at the girl with amused expressions, and went back to eating. After ten minutes of silence, the sound of metal feet stomping the ground got everyones attention. They all looked up and were surprised to see a silver Iron Man enter the restauraunt.

"Hey." The man said. "What did I miss?"

Tony smiled. "Rhodey! Wondered when you'd show up."

War Machine's helmet slid open, and Rhodes smiled at the group. "I was caught up with a few terror bombings in India."

"Terror bombings?" Soladat said incredulously. "We just worked our butts off thwarting an alien invasion and you were out stopping terrorist attacks?"

"Yeah, kind of a big difference, isn't it." Rhodes said, rubbing the back of his head. He noticed Natasha, and smiled at her. "Good to see you again, Agent Romanoff. I never got to thank you for saving my ass back at the Stark Expo."

Natasha smiled. "I was just doing my job. But your welcome."

"So what kind of terror bombings are we talking about?" Darcy asked. "Must've been big if you didn't have time to help us battle actual aliens."

"Just some old friends of Tony's." Rhodes said plainly.

Tony grimaced. "The Ten Rings?"

Rhodey nodded. "Yup. Now under new leadership. Some guy calls himself the Mandarin. That's not his real name of course. No idea who he really is."

Tony just sighed. "We can get on that later. For now, wanna try some shawarma?"

"Shawarma?" Rhodey said, confused.

"It's really not that bad." Steve said, having just finished his wrap.

Rhodey just looked at the group for a moment, shrugged, and took a seat next to Tony. And for the next hour or so, the Avengers just sat in silence, thinking about the battle. They had been greatly outnumbered. But in the end, they were able to come together as a team, as a unit, to take down Loki and the Chitauri. The world was safe and New York was still standing and not blown to hell by a paranoid security council.

The twelve heroes glanced around at each other. They were a tattered team of outcasts. But thanks to the efforts of a top secret security agency, they were now more than that. They were a warning to every world and force that the Earth was more than capable of fending for itself.

Tony picked his teeth with a toothpick, and looked around at the rest of the team. "Anybody up for seconds?"

**And there's chapter twenty-six. Just how I think the shawarma dinner would've gone down. Next chapter, something happens. And before you ask, no Slender Man is not gonna appear in this story... yet.**

**Review pleaz.**


	27. Phase One: A Brief Abrogation

**Chapter 27 – A Brief Abrogation**

Loki sat in a cell back on the Helicarrier. Not a near-impenetrable glass cell, but just a cell, one he could easily break out of. But he had no intention of doing so. He sat a broken man, his dreams torn away and his plan ruined. By mortals. Mortals!

Loki still couldn't fathom it. How had the mortals grown so powerful in the years? First Darcy, now this. Midgard had become a godless realm.

But Loki's biggest concern is what _he _would do once he learned of his failure. Loki shuddered.

Suddenly, the door slid open, and Loki blinked when he saw Darcy enter. The girl walked up to the cell, glaring at Loki.

"What do you want?" Loki said, glaring. "Come to gloat over my failure some more?"

"No." Darcy said. "You've been embarrassed enough. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't consider you a threat anymore. But some of us no better."

Loki smirked. "Smart."

"But that's not why I came." Darcy said. "I came because I want to know the truth. What happened after you fell through that portal, Loki? Where did you end up?"

Loki grimaced. "I fell, for a long time. For a long while I was surrounded by darkness, wondering aimlessly for months. And by the time I surrendered myself to the darkness, the monsters that nightmares are made of came for me."

Darcy's eyes widened, and she suddenly remembered what Carrie told them she saw after she was exposed to Loki's scepter.

"Who is he?"

Loki grimaced. "Someone with enough power to kill us all."

ooooo

It was over. A week had passed since Loki's failed invasion attempt, and he and Sif had returned to Asgard. With the Tesseract.

Fury made no argument. After what the group had experienced, he had finally realized that keeping the Tesseract on Earth would only cause more problems, especially with Loki's allies still out there seeking it. Hopefully Odin would do a better job at keeping it well protected.

Before she departed, Sif apologized to the Avengers for her behavior. She especially apologized to Darcy, and admitted that even after everything they had been through, she was indeed a capable warrior. However, they were not buddy buddy enough to completely call each other friends. Both were okay with that.

So Loki was gone. The Earth was saved. But the Avengers had no more reason to stick together, and went their separate ways. Thordis returned to New Mexico with Dr. Selvig, where they would carry on with Jane Foster's research, which had now jumped ahead due to recent events. Archangel, Black Widow, and Hawkeye returned to the shadow division, continuing with their covert operations for S.H.I.E.L.D. Xegh Hikesh and Carrie White willingly returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., the latter whom the agency promised to give a better life after she helped them save the world. Captain America went off to explore the new world he had become stranded in, but promised to come in whenever S.H.I.E.L.D. needed his assistance. Tony Stark returned to just being Tony Stark, but is also struggling to keep up his responsibilities as Iron Man while also retaining a good relationship with Pepper. As for Bruce Banner and Claire Voyant, they vanished from the map, and S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't bother to maintain watch.

Currently, Director Fury was in the Helicarrier's conference room, preparing for the imminent conversation with his least favorite people in the world. The Helicarrier was still undergoing repairs after the attack.

Taking a deep breath, Fury paged the council, and the images of the councilors appeared on the different screens in the room. They all looked at him with indifference.

"We were wondering when you'd answer this call." The British councilwoman said. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Fury smirked. "I know. But before you get all antsy, I just want to clarify that I don't regret what I've done. However absurd my methods seem to you, they saved the planet. If it weren't for me and my team, we'd all be kneeling before an insane Norse god right now."

"Yes." One councilman said. "And it is for that reason that we have decided not to take action against you."

"However, we still run this agency." The Indian councilman said. "And until the day comes that we are no longer needed, you will answer to us."

Fury frowned. "We'll just see, councilman."

The council frowned at Fury, but then continued on. A French councilman spoke next.

"But now onto a more serious matter." He said. "Where are the Avengers?"

"I'm not currently tracking their whereabouts." Fury said smugly. "I'd say they'd earned a leave of absence."

"And the Tesseract?" The councilwoman asked.

"Where it belongs." Fury said. "Out of our reach."

The middle councilman glared. "That's not your call."

"If I'm not mistaken, it isn't your call either." Fury replied, folding his hands behind his back. "If you have a problem with it, you can take it up with the goddess who did it."

"So you let her take it and the war criminal, Loki, who should be answering for his crimes." One councilor said, giving Fury a disapproving look.

"Oh, I'm sure he is." Fury said, smirking.

"I don't think you understand what you've started," the British councilwoman said, "letting the Avengers loose on this world. They're dangerous."

"They surely are, and the whole world knows it." Fury said, and then looked serious. "_Every_ world knows it."

"Was that the point of all this?" The head councilor spoke incredulously. "A statement?"

"No." Fury said. "A promise."

And with that, Fury cut the feed, and turned to leave, when he saw Soladat, now in civilian clothes, leaning in the doorway, smirking.

"Nice work." She said, arms crossed. Fury just smiled at her.

"Just getting my job done, Agent Wrekk." He said, and exited the room. She quickly followed him, so they were now walking side by side.

"So what happens now?" She asked. "I mean they've all gone their separate ways, some pretty far. Loki may be gone, but what happens if we get into a situation like this again?"

"We do what we've always done." Fury said, as he and Soladat entered the bridge. "We fight. I trust you'll be there?"

"Course I will." Soladat said, smirking. "But what about the others? We may have taken down the Chitauri, but there could be others out there that are stronger than them. We could be outnumbered again."

"Way ahead of you on that, Soladat." Fury said, smirking, and Soladat blinked when he turned on the many monitors surrounding them. Soladat's eyes widened when she saw the number of images and dossiers placed around them.

"Wow." She said dumbly.

"Indeed."

ooooo

"_**You did well, my dear.**_" Mephisto said, smiling down at Claire in approval. Giving her master a nod, Claire smiled.

"I did exactly what you asked, my lord." Claire said. "I'm a little hurt that you would doubt me after all these years."

Mephisto chuckled, and it was a dark, frightening sound that even Claire cringed at. "_**You are my most faithful servant, Claire Voyant. But you are also a brilliant schemer. I can't help but be a bit… cautious, when working with you.**_"

But then, his demonic visage turned serious, and his eyes narrowed down at her. "_**But onto more pressing matters. What did you learn as you walked among the mortals?**_"

Claire cleared her throat. "The Avengers are everything we expected. They are indeed worthy adversaries."

"_**Indeed…**_" Mephisto replied. Then he frowned down at Claire. "_**I realize you fought alongside them. You helped save the mortals from this creature. This… Loki.**_"

"Loki was blinded by rage." Claire quickly said. "Besides, would you rather that fool let Death claim the souls of the dead rather than leave them for you?"

Mephisto smirked. "_**No, I suppose not. But despite this recent victory, your part in this conflict is not over, my dear.**_"

Looking up, Claire blinked in confusion. "But Loki has been defeated."

"_**Yes, the prince of fools has been thwarted.**_" Mephisto said. "_**But we both know he is not the real threat. It is his unseen support that we must drag into the light.**_"

ooooo

The Other quickly marched up the steps towards his master's throne. The Chitauri were ruined. The army was lost to them. All because of that stupid Asgardian!

The Other snarled as he thought about that fool. Because of him, the master's forces were now ruined and scattered. He would pay dearly for his insolence. The Other quickly came before the throne, which was turned away from him. Kneeling down, the Other spoke to the master.

"Humans." He hissed. "They are not the cowering wretches we were promised. They stand. They are unruly and therefore cannot be ruled."

Suddenly, the master stood up, glaring off into the darkness of space. The Other quickly lowered his head, and hissed in fear.

"To challenge them…" The Other slowly raised his head, "is to court… Death."

Slowly, the master turned to face his subordinate, and the Other frowned in confusion as he gave a wicked smile. He turned around so that he was facing the Other completely, and he spoke with that dark, sibilant voice that sent shivers down the Other's spine.

"We shall see."

And with those words, Thanos returned to his throne, directing his attention back to the comos.

**And that is the end of Phase One. The story will continue, but not for some time. Until more Phase Two films come out in theaters, this story will be on hiatus, because if I moved onto phase two already, I would probably botch the original canon and things would be a huge mess.**

**So anyway, hope you've enjoyed this story, and thanks for being such good readers. Review pleaz and have a good day.**


	28. Interlude: Item 33

**Chapter 28 – Item 33**

Director Fury followed a rather excited S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist down a long, narrow hallway. Fury frowned, finding the scientist's overexcited behavior to be a bit unnerving.

"Might I ask what all the fuss is about?"

The scientist quickly turned to him. "Something happened with one of the specimens from the battle of New York. Item 33 I believe."

Fury just frowned even more. "There were forty-seven known confirmed alien objects on the ground after the portal closed over Manhattan. All dormant. All dead. What makes this different Dr… I'm sorry I don't think I caught your name."

"Mandrakis, sir." The scientist said. "And that's not entirely true. Item 47 was still functional."

Fury rolled his eye. "Yes, because two civilians were able to tinker it back to life. So what's the story with 33?"

The two had already arrived at the door to a laboratory, and Dr. Mandrakis just smiled and opened the door.

"Let me just show you."

Fury followed Dr. Mandrakis into the lab, and blinked at the sight he was met with. A Chitauri foot soldier, standing upright. It was clearly still dead, as the blue lights and cybernetics on its body were inactive. It was, however, hooked up to numerous wires and cables that were all leading up to a large machine behind it. That machine, in turn, seemed to be powered by a number of high-tech computer monitors being tended to by numerous S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists.

"A dead Chitauri?" Fury said, confused. "_This_ is Item 33?"

"I know it may not seem like much now, sir." Dr. Mandrakis confessed. "But we've made some scientific progress that may make this particular specimen worth something."

Fury sighed, folding his hands behind his back. "I'm listening."

Dr. Mandrakis smiled, and went on to explain. "We've been studying the Chitauri and their technology ever since the portal closed, and what we've discovered so far is that every piece of their technology is powered by energy from the Tesseract. Not only their technology, though. The Chitauri themselves are as well."

Fury frowned. "How can that be?"

"Now that took some time to figure out." Mandrakis said. "But several autopsies and physical examinations of other dead specimens revealed to us that the Chitauri have endured extensive genetic rewrite and cybernetic augments. In fact, they have been altered to the point where they are hardly even organic life forms. It's safe to assume that they were being controlled by someone else, someone who had access to the same power that the Tesseract is made of."

"Who?" Fury asked. "Was it Loki?"

Mandrakis shrugged. "I don't know, sir. But the Chitauri were just drones. Everything they did in New York wasn't their own doing. They were being controlled, just like those drones Ivan Vanko let loose on the Stark Expo last year.

"Interesting." Fury said, rubbing his chin in thought. He then turned his gaze to the dead Chitauri in the center of the room. "So what's the story with this one?"

Dr. Mandrakis also looked at the Chitauri. "Well you see, sir, when Iron Man disposed of the missile through the portal, the nuclear explosion must have destroyed whatever it was that was feeding power into the Chitauri and their technology. In that instant, they were all rendered inoperable. However, search teams discovered this unit still active, only barely. We were able to preserve it before it could lose any more power, and brought it here."

Fury blinked. "Are you saying that this creature is still alive?"

"Not at the moment, no." Mandrakis said, shaking his head. "We were able to temporarily shut down the excess power in this specimen, and for the past month, we've been trying to figure out a way to replicate the power source and make this unit operable again. It took some time, but we were able to use some of the technology from that ship Agent Wrekk found in the Rocky Mountains last week, as ridiculous as it looked, and it was viable to it. Tony Stark even contributed some of his tech, but we made sure not to tell him what it was for, so as not to arouse suspicion. Eventually, we had enough power installed to bring this Chitauri back to life."

Fury frowned. "Is that wise? It could still be under the control of their leader. It could just attack again."

Mandrakis smirked. "We've prepared for that, sir. It took some time but we did manage to find the control conduit that linked this thing to its controller. Then, we installed a newer, more advanced conduit that we reverse engineered from the old one. Now, with the conduit connected to this machine," Mandrakis motioned towards the enormous device that the Chitauri was hooked to," we can remote control it."

Fury would have looked shocked, if he had any intention of breaking his calm stature. "Are you serious? You think you can control this thing?"

Mandrakis smiled again. "We don't think. We know. We've already tested it once or twice. I've given both runs an A plus."

Fury blinked, and then frowned. "Show me."

Mandrakis nodded. "Gladly."

Fury watched as Mandrakis walked over to one of the monitors, gently ushering the scientist that was working on it away from it. Then, he typed in a few keys, and after a few seconds, the monitor buzzed, as did the device that the Chitauri was hooked to. Then, Fury blinked when the implants on the Chitauri's body lit up, and the Chitauri shuddered before raising its head up. It looked around the room, investigating its surroundings, and then saw Dr. Mandrakis.

"Dr. Mandrakis." It said in a shrill, cybernetic voice, causing Fury to jump.

"It can talk?" He asked the doctor.

Mandrakis nodded. "It's a little something that we added to the control conduit. The Chitauri were able to communicate in their own language, but that was deleted when he removed the old control conduit."

"How intelligent have you made this thing, exactly?" Fury said, cautious.

Mandrakis shrugged. "No smarter than a fifth grader, sir. We haven't made it adaptable yet. We don't want it to become too smart just yet."

"Dr. Mandrakis," the Chitauri said again, catching the attention of the doctor and the director, "this warrior awaits your command."

Mandrakis smiled at the unit. "That's good. I just need you to answer a few questions for our friend here."

The Chitauri looked at Director Fury, and to Fury's surprise, it saluted. "Director Nick Fury."

Fury just blinked at it. "That is correct… doctor, how does…?"

"Again. Control conduit." Dr. Mandrakis said. "We've installed whatever knowledge will be relevant to it. We've made sure it sees you as an authority figure."

Fury nodded. "I see. Carry on."

The doctor turned back to the Chitauri. "What is your given title?"

The Chitauri was silent for a few moments, before speaking. "Item 33."

"What is your purpose?"

The Chitauri thought this question again. "To ensure peace, anti-terrorism, and logistical countermeasures to any world threatening crisis."

Fury blinked. "That's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s purpose."

Mandrakis nodded. "Exactly. We've made sure this specimen is loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Incredible." Fury said, finally impressed. "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

Dr. Mandrakis shrugged. "We informed Agent Wrekk first, and while she was interested in the prospect, she warned us not to tell you. She thought you'd shut this all down."

Fury smirked. "Yeah, that sounds like Archangel."

Dr. Mandrakis turned back to Item 33. "Item 33, one last question. Are you combat worthy?"

It didn't even hesitate. "I am prepared and eager for combat, Dr. Mandrakis."

Fury smiled at the creature, and then back at Mandrakis. "When exactly is this thing going to be prepared for combat and logistics?"

"Not for a while, sir." Mandrakis confessed. "Until we can create a mobile control conduit, Item 33 is going to stay stuck to this machine for some time."

"Item 33 is frustrated by this information." Item 33 said, causing the two men to blink in surprise. "Item 33 hopes Dr. Mandrakis finds a solution soon."

Dr. Mandrakis smiled sheepishly at Fury. "It still has an attitude problem."

Fury rose an eyebrow. "I see. Well, you have my permission to carry out with this, doctor. Good luck."

Dr. Mandrakis nodded. "Yes, sir."

Director Fury nodded at the scientist, and then left the room. As he left, Dr. Mandrakis turned back to Item 33, who cocked its head at the doctor in curiosity.

"Alright, buddy." Dr. Mandrakis said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get you up and running."

**Ta da. Reworked Chitauri drone. Thought it might be cool. And I added the reference to **_**Dossier: Kirby **_**just to add some connection.**

**Until more Phase Two movies come out, this fic will be entering an interlude phase. Don't expect the chapters to be very long. Review pleaz.**


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